The 1st Hunger Games
by sally134
Summary: Set in the aftermath of the first rebellion, this story is told from the first person perspective of 3 tributes in the very first Hunger Games. There are no District mentors and the Capitol is out to prove a point- which District will be home to the first victor?
1. Chapter 1: The end of rebellion

The reapings:

District 2: Silver

I feel something unfamiliar in my stomach, nerves perhaps, as I queue with the other children of my District. I pick my way over rubble as I move along the column of people. The line could easily snake its way through the undamaged District centre instead of through the destroyed back streets, plenty of the richer merchants didn't rebel at all and much of District 2 even joined the peacekeeping force that attacked and destroyed District 13, my brother Mettle was one of them; he's posted out somewhere far away now, won't be returning.

"Finger here please." When I finally reach the front, a lady with a clipped Capitol accent is seated at a makeshift desk and indicates that I should place my forefinger on a small scanner pad; it stings as it draws a blood sample and she enters my name and age into a computer system. For a moment fear grips me, should I have lied? Maybe I should have given a false address and run away, after all, the administrator doesn't know me.

I am ushered to the square in front of the Justice building, I look up and see the gently swaying bodies of the rebels, and their families, the foolish people who thought the Capitol could be overthrown and joined forces with District 13 in an evil alliance. If it wasn't for the outer Districts stirring up hatred amongst us, a loyal District who had always worked well with the Capitol, those awful months of fear would never have occurred and my family would still be whole.

Several workers from the Capitol organise us into groups based on age, they aren't unkind and I catch the eye of Roley, a school friend, who waves me over to stand with her

"What's going on do you think?" She asks

I shrug "Maybe a speech or another execution?"

We wait for the rest of the District to file into their areas and wonder what plans could require only the children.

District 5: Teller

The square was crawling with Capitol workers, clearing debris and trying to hang some propaganda banners from the crumbling façade of the Justice building. I want to laugh when one of them trips and rips the corner of President Snow's face but I don't dare show my amusement, the peacekeepers are cruel and not above jabbing you in the ribs with a baton if you look like you might move from the cordoned off area.

I catch my reflection in one of the few undamaged shop windows which line the square and try to wipe some of the dirt away from my cheeks, even though I am only 14 I am still required to spend each morning helping to rebuild the District, especially the new solar power plant which now looms over the square and casts shadows on us all.

A particularly flamboyant looking attendant preens herself on the newly erected stage and begins to complain about the poor lighting to District Five's downtrodden mayor but there's no more time, another Capitol employee indicates that, whatever is about to happen, needs to begin and the preening woman takes the podium as the cameras are switched on.

"Good morning District Five" Her speech must be well rehearsed as she shows no sign of nerves "My name is Loosha Laine and I am here as a representative of the Capitol. First we have a message from President Snow."

I turn my attention to the large television screen which was erected to show the execution of all the Panem rebels across every District, it now displays a live feed of President Snow who seems to be sat in a rose garden in his Capitol home.

"War…terrible war. For ten long months our community was broken and wrecked by the District 13 traitors who tried to tear our great nation apart." The video cut to images of the violence of the rebellion. "These quislings abandoned you when they realised what devastation can occur outside of the Capitol's protection…but we will not abandon you."

Now the television shows men in Capitol uniforms helping to rebuild houses and factories, funny that I don't remember any of them labouring to rebuild District Five.

Present Snow continues his speech "We welcome you all back into our care in the way that a parent would never abandon an errant child. However, just as a parent must teach the child, you must all learn a lesson and a price for rebellion must be paid."

My head jerks up to find my mother's frightened eyes in the surrounding crowd of adults; I take in the roped off areas of children and the many peacekeepers with their deadly guns. Will they execute us all? Surely not, they need us to staff the power plant don't they?

Present Snow must have realised that there would be murmurs in the crowd as he raises his voice when he next speaks "In an annual penance for your uprising, each District will offer up in tribute one male and one female between the ages of 12 and 18 to take part in a competition of skill and strength known as The Hunger Games. The tributes will compete until only one remains, a winner who will be showered with the wealth and generosity of the Capitol and will return to a life of contentment and ease as the pride of their District. The tributes will now be chosen, the first of what is sure to be a grand tradition."

District 10: Lash

Before the film had even ended, parents began trying to reach their children in the crowd, the peacekeepers were prepared for this and I hear shots fired as the shocked or sobbing adults are forced behind barriers.

Two large glass bowls are wheeled out onto the stage; inside are thousands of slips of paper and Venus Boon, the blonde Capitol attendant, begins to read out some tribute rules. I miss most of what's being said but I catch the ruling that older tributes have more entries than younger ones; this is a sobering thought considering that my 18th birthday was only a week ago.

Venus walks carefully in her high heels and she twirls her fingers awkwardly around in the bowl of names for the female tribute "Our female tribute will be…Lash Milker!"

A cry from the watching crowd sounds as though it comes from my mother while the girls stood around me move away and stare at me with a mixture of pity and fear in their eyes.

"Come up to the stage Lash!" Venus calls and holds her hand out to help me up the rickety stage steps. I look out on the crowd and wonder what the Capitol could possibly have in store for me in this new competition.


	2. Chapter 2:To the Capitol!

Travelling to the Capitol

District 2: Silver

I give my mother and brother a final hug as a peacekeeper ushers them out of the room. I had hoped that more friends would come to see me but, as I walked through the reaping crowd towards the justice building, my acquaintances averted their gaze and I felt like a leper, as if my tribute status was somehow an infection which could be caught by other careless teenagers.

The Capitol employee, Dallah Mabel, knocks politely and enters the small room; he grimaces at the décor but quickly recovers and places an arm around my slim shoulders.

"Darling, you and your fellow tribute, Nock, are now the representatives of District Two." He bends and levels his eyes with mine "No tears, show them all what you're made of."

He's right of course and I nod my assent; I take a deep breath and push away my fear at President Snow's claim that only one tribute will return home. What kind of competition can they have in store for us? I remember when we were told that my brother wouldn't be coming back; will I end up in some Godforsaken region of Panem like him? Housed with traitors and rebels and sure to be shot or stabbed.

A train waits for us at the station; it gleams in stark contrast to the grey surroundings of my District and, even in the grip of the unknown, my heart jumps at the thought of sampling Capitol life.

"Hey" a deep voice shakes me from my reverie and I turn to see the hulking figure of Nock, my male counterpart in this competition. He shakes his head to dislodge the mop of brown hair that keeps his face prisoner and nods a greeting to me.

I don't know Nock, but he was stood with the 18 year old boys and he has the characteristic stoop of a tall person who works down the mine. In the aftermath of the rebellion many of the 18 year old children were taken out of school to aid the rebuilding of the District and to get mine production back on track. I hold my hand out and he shakes it brusquely. A flash surprises me and Dallah appears beside us "Photos!" he calls and I fix my face into a forced smile as a Capitol photographer fusses over Nock's hair and my clothes.

The interior of the train is breathtakingly beautiful and sterile in equal measure. It's clear that the Capitol has spent the last few months upgrading and regenerating, while the Districts struggle to even rebuild what was there before. Well, I scoff, why shouldn't they? They never asked to be attacked by the traitors and, frankly, if this is my chance to prove the allegiance of my family then I will do so.

Dallah gives us a tour and I am blown away by my living quarters, the room contains a soft bed that I can barely stop myself from sinking straight into. Instead I wash the tiredness from my face and find a beautiful silken dress to wear for dinner. I tie my long, white blonde hair into a knot and compose my expression into one of steely determination, I was top of my class before the rebellion and played several sports against some of the other townships in District Two, competitions are my strong suit and I intend to win.

District 5: Teller

If I close my eyes I can still feel my father's shaking grip on my shoulder and the wetness of my mother's tears fall on my hand as she holds it to her cheek. The train moves with a strange gait and it jars under my feet, threatening to dislodge the last memory of my family, I have to hold on to the furniture for a moment to stop myself from being flung into a window.

"Teller!" Loosha Laine, the Capitol liaison, calls to me through the polished hardwood door "Dinner!"

The memory of my father's touch evaporates as reality seeps, unbidden and unwanted, back into my consciousness. I shake my head as a drip from my short crop of freshly washed hair makes its way down the back of my neck, there was an instruction to stand on a drying mat after leaving the shower but it seems to be broken. Apparently a Capitol attendant will fix it whilst I eat.

"You are another class now Teller" Loosha's voice is filled with verve and passion "To be a tribute is to be the best of your District, everyone will learn this when one of you returns a winner."

I look at my District partner, a small 12 year old girl named Vic who seems to have been too scared to even try the shower in her sleeping quarters. A question plays on my lips and, for a moment, I feel too frightened to speak it, but I know that I must.

"Loosha…why will only one of us return?" It's as if a seal breaks and questions spill from me without waiting for the ashen faced liaison to respond.

"What will the competition be? Why choose from the children? What do they want us to do? What happens to the losers?"

"Enough!" Loosha suddenly calls as the waiters appear with our food "Now see…dinner's here. Let's not ruin it with impolite talk; you will be assigned someone more qualified to chit chat with once we arrive in the Capitol tomorrow morning. My role is to get you there and see that you have everything you need in preparation for the Games. So….please….let's eat and then we have a compulsory television broadcast."

For a moment I feel anger and a burning desire to force this bizarre woman to tell me what awaits me in these cryptic Games, but I can see Vic's little face is a mixture of teary sadness and hunger for the sumptuous meal before us so, for her alone, I bite back my annoyance with Loosha and eat.

The meal is delicious.

District 10: Lash

My stomach groans, the meal was the most wonderful thing I have eaten in a long time but I am not used to such rich fayre and now, as the train sways me from side to side, I feel as if the whole thing will come back up. I also regret changing my clothes; I swapped my comfortable woollen tunic for the Capitol clothes that were in my quarters however, I am one of the tallest girls in my class and the skirt I selected feels very short. There's no time to change as we are called to a train car, containing plush chairs and a small television screen, to see the tributes from the other Districts.

An attendant offers me some peppermint tea and I sip it in the hope that it settles my stomach, though it makes me long for District 10 where mint grows abundantly in the wild. I am aware that the rebellion mustn't have hit our food stores as hard as it did other Districts; we had plenty of cattle for food, although the Capitol soon confiscated the majority of them and said that hunger was our punishment for having rebels in the District. This thought suddenly jars me and I feel nauseated…the Hunger Games? Will they place us in a room and starve us to death?

"Here we go Lash…Manny…the screen please" Venus directs our attention towards the video feed which currently features President Snow, surrounded by white roses, giving the same speech from the reaping. My district partner, Manny is also 18 but at least a head shorter than me; he's very quiet and had to see a doctor as we arrived on the train, apparently he tried to run away from the reaping and a peacekeeper dislocated his shoulder.

I see the tributes as they are chosen but they don't make much of an impression, I don't know what will happen in the Games so I don't really know what features I should be looking out for. I notice that we all look underfed, tired and confused which gives me a little security as at least we seem to be starting on an equal footing. Instead my eyes are drawn to the crowd, the anger and sadness of the adults is palpable and many try to fight the peacekeepers to reclaim their children. It strikes me how broken we are in the Districts; I can't imagine my parents would do less than die for me and their bruises at our final meeting were a clear message that they gave it everything they could but we are too damaged from the rebellion, too exhausted and too much in fear of what the Capitol will do if we don't toe the line.


	3. Chapter 3:Parading for the crowd

Parading for the Crowd

District 10: Lash

The morning skies are dull over the Capitol; though I don't see much of them as I am quickly whisked down to the basement of a tall, glass building to meet a shy looking woman named Lucia who says she will be my stylist and mentor for the Games.

We begin with a harsh conversation about what the Games will be.

"It will be an arena; an environment that has been tended specifically for the Games; and you will all be placed in it together. You must try to survive whatever obstacles you find in this arena….this includes the other tributes." Lucia's voice is even and unemotional, as if she had prepared herself for this moment. "All tributes will have two days to try to prepare themselves for the arena; there will be weapons and survival training. I would encourage you to pick up some combat skills."

I feel a burning lump of bile lodge itself in my throat but, oddly, I don't feel too horrified or even very surprised. For the last year I have lived through a rebellion and I've seen plenty of violence. In the beginning, when people were starting to question the Capitol rule, there was a lot of suspicion and paranoia; no one seemed to trust their friends anymore and anyone who was assumed to be a District 13 conspirator was hauled before the Justice Building for trial and then shot for treason. My friend, Souk, had been seen meeting an unknown boy near the District boundary and so the rough music had come for her; the neighbours who used to wave her hello screamed traitor as they dragged her to the peacekeepers. Souk claimed that she had been following a lost calf and that her allegiance was to the Capitol but the heady scent of fear was in the air and nobody would listen to her. I was in the crowd when they beat her and I saw the light leave her eyes when they shot her.

I am not afraid of death.

District 2: Silver

"So what happens now?" I ask

My stylist, Nyall, searches my face for fear or anxiety but I let none show. So what if I have to enter an 'arena?' I'd played a thousand more horrible scenarios over in my head on the train ride here, I saw the broadcast of all the reapings and I don't feel a spark of guilt for what lies ahead. The Districts who sided with 13 deserve this, their tributes are probably rebel sympathisers and I feel nothing for any of them.

I smile brightly at Nyall and repeat my question "What happens now?"

"Well, we're currently a mile or so away from President Snow's mansion, you'll be parading through the streets and the Capitol people will welcome you to our city." Nyall starts to pull things out of a large bag; hairbrushes, scissors and innumerable pots of creams and palettes of pressed coloured powder. "My job" he continues "Is to make you a sensation. President Snow made a speech to the Capitol yesterday morning, before the reaping broadcast. He said it is the Capitol's duty to show mercy and offer hope to the tributes."

"I don't understand, how can any of you offer me either of those things?" I enquire

"We...or should I say they… can send you things during the Games, like…"

"A weapon?" Realisation dawns on me, these strange residents of the Capitol could be the key to my salvation.

Nyall's copper curls bounce as he nods enthusiastically "Or food, medicine. Anything that could help you beat the competition."

The stylist sets up a floor length mirror in the middle of the stark room and I survey my appearance with pride. Thanks to my lifestyle before the rebellion, my body is generally healthy though, perhaps, a little thin due to the scarceness of food in the last year.

"Can I have something to eat while you set up?" I barely finish the question before an attendant appears with a platter of cold meats and cheese.

Minutes later, Nyall gestures for me to sit in a recumbent chair, I tell him to make me unforgettable.

District 5: Teller

My stylist, Breen, leads me through a tunnel to a wide open space, the weather hasn't improved much and there is a cold wind in the early evening air. I have been ready for some time, dressed in a well-fitting suit with a sun embroidered on the back; no doubt it represents the new solar power station of my District. I filled my time until now by eating anything I could; including a thick potato soup, cheese tart, chicken legs and a vegetable omelette. I notice that, though there is plenty of food, there's little variety and my menu contains very few of the more exotic ingredients that had appeared in my District's merchant shops before the rebellion. Of course, my family could never afford to buy seafood or oranges but it gives me a small amount of satisfaction that, despite appearances, things in the Capitol aren't totally back to normal

I see other tributes emerge from similar tunnels to my own and we all stare at each other uncomfortably. The pair from District Two strikes me as the most frightening, the girl's platinum hair has been cropped close to her head and her silver dress is silky and seductive. Her broad-shouldered District partner shakes hands with the boy from One, Teelo I think is his name, he beckons the girl towards him and they chat as a foursome for a while. The rest of us look on awkwardly and I am overcome, for a moment, by my burning isolation and embarrassment.

Fortunately, the stylists appear, telling us the parade to the President's mansion is about to begin. I nod and stand with my little District partner, Vic, who fidgets nervously in a dress of glorious yellow material.

District Two: Silver

My feet hurt, the heels are much higher than anything I would ever have cause to wear in District Two but I'm determined not to fall over or admit that I need to take them off. I am a little worried about the walk to the mansion though and I can see that I'm not alone; the female tributes from Districts One, Seven, Nine and Twelve are all of a similar age to me and they also wear high heels.

I'm considering raising the issue with my stylist when Nock calls me over to talk to the District One tributes.

Nock's husky voice echoes a little in the tunnel behind us "I was just saying that this isn't really our fault y'know? We had maybe a handful of rebels in our whole District, that's nothing compared to somewhere like Eleven."

The District One girl agrees "It's the same for us…and for Four too" she turns to me and extends her hand "Mya"

I take and reply "Silver"

Mya smiles confidently "You're certainly dressed for your name, no one will forget it"

I nod, that is the plan after all. It's a nice feeling; standing here with like-minded people, the looks from the other tributes tell me that not everyone shares my sentiments on the rebellion.

"What do you all think about it all…the Games I mean?" I ask the group

Teelo shrugs "It was a shock at first but…well…if it's going to happen then I want to win" his voice doesn't shake but I wonder how much is hidden by his bravado.

"Sorry to interrupt everyone" Nyall interjected "We're about to begin"

I turn to Nyall and ask how I am supposed to walk such a long way in these heels but he smiles and gestures to the small, horse drawn carriages being led out by attendants.

"The Capitol audience don't want to see you arrived bedraggled at the mansion and neither does President Snow" Nyall explains "These games will bring all the Districts together with the Capitol, just wait and see how happy they are to see you!"

District 10: Lash

The horses make me ache for home; I run my hand along the dark, glossy coat and breathe the scent in through my nose. The mare nuzzles my hair and Lucia runs over to me and begins to fuss and re-pin the elegant knot in place. "Enough of that, you're a tribute have some pride" she taps my arm as she scolds me and the tenderness of my newly waxed skin makes me flinch.

I climb up on to the carriage where Manny stands with an uneasy expression; we nod politely at each other.

"How's your shoulder?" I ask

"Hurts…I don't want to do this" to my surprise he suddenly jumps down "I'm not doing this!"

Manny's stylist rushes forwards and a peacekeeper seemingly appears from nowhere to hold him back.

"We talked about this Manny" his stylist's tone is exhausted but firm "You know what happens back in Ten if you can't cooperate."

For a moment I think Manny might lash out and he'll be shot right here, a handsome corpse in a well-tailored suit; but his shoulders hunch and he climbs back into the carriage, gripping the rail until his knuckles turned white.

"They have my mother in custody" he whispers "The stylist told me that everyone's families are under watch too, if we're anything less than perfect tributes then our families die."

I feel cold and sick at the thought of my little sister paying the price of any perceived misbehaviour and I make a promise to myself that I will play the Capitol's Game to get myself home and keep my family safe.

District 5: Teller

I try to stop myself falling under the Capitol spell but the buildings gleam and the people call to us, throw flowers and blow kisses as our carriages pass by. Soon we arrive at the famous mansion of President Snow and I see him for real, he stands and opens his arms to welcome the tributes to the Capitol.

"Tributes of Panem…" President Snow pauses to allow the cheering to subside "We welcome you to the beating heart of our great nation and we congratulate you on being part of these momentous Hunger Games. Sadness and hatred have gripped us for too long; we have allowed ourselves to be fractured by the selfishness of traitors but you're presence here shows that the Districts are ready to be part of a united Panem. I speak to everyone here when I say that these Games are a time for reflection on the darkened days of the past but also a chance to create a bright future. In the spirit of generosity and to show that the Capitol is willing to move forwards I make this decree…the winner of the Hunger Games will not only take home wealth and favour for themselves but for their District also. Your District will receive care packages of food and other supplies once a month for the whole year following the Games!"

My heart beats so fast that I feel it could burst. A year of food for the whole District! Even before the rebellion District 5 was starving; the whole place is grey with industry and there is simply no place to grow food, so the citizens are stuck having to break their backs in the power plants to pay the extortionate prices of the merchants.

I could do this…I could win the Games.


	4. Chapter 4: Learning to survive

Getting ready for the Games

District 2: Silver

After the parade; Nock and I are led by the Capitol liaison, Dallah, to an elevator.

"This skyscraper is now the Training Centre for tributes" he tells me "It has been fully refurbished for your use." Dallah presses the number 2 on the keypad and the elevator whooshes upwards, I'm not prepared for the speed and I have to catch Dallah's arm to steady myself.

"Here we are!" The doors open onto a sumptuous suite of rooms. I'm given the tour but I'm so exhausted from the last couple of days that I can barely keep my eyes open and I sink into the soft covers of my bed without even washing the glittering powder from my face.

District 5: Teller

I try to sleep but thoughts of the arena are like gunshots that jar me awake. I imagine a giant maze of traps and pitfalls or a deserted District 5 where the huge boy from Two lies in wait; he stabs me as I look for my mother.

In the end I decide to get up from the mammoth bed and wander into the living space but, as I approach the door, I spy the shadow of a peacekeeper's feet. There's no need to wonder why he's there.

My bedroom window has been blacked out to allow me to sleep but, if I press my face close to it, I can just about make out the shapes of the Capitol buildings and I can hear people celebrating in the streets below. My stylist, Breen, said the Capitol citizens believe that the Games signal the beginning of peace. He said that the rebellion was terrifying and there were terrorist attacks on shops, homes and schools; I was taken aback at the thought that the rebels actually made it into the Capitol.

" _I didn't tell you this…" Breen had tapped his nose conspiratorially and spoke in a whisper "But my brother is an engineer and…well…let's just say that President Snow has taken steps to ensure that the Capitol isn't so easy to get into anymore. We're all a lot safer in our beds now."_

Are we? I wonder as I climb back into the world of softness between my sheets. The people of the Capitol certainly seem to want to put it all behind us; but I suppose you can move on when your family aren't starving or afraid.

District 10: Lash

I wake to the sound of Venus calling me and find Manny and our stylists sat at the dining table with a huge breakfast before them.

I sit in the empty chair and an attendant presents me with a plate of bread rolls, scrambled eggs and tomatoes. I finish my food as Manny's stylist outlines the plans for the next two days.

"The Capitol has provided some experts for you to speak to. The training rooms are several floors down and there you will be able to practice…"

"Killing each other?" Manny remarks sarcastically and Venus shoots him a stern look.

"No" His stylist continues smoothly "I would recommend you learn how to handle a weapon….although perhaps you already know?"

"And what is that supposed to mean?!" Manny demands "Just because I'm from the Districts I must be a rebel? Is that what you think of us all?" He slams his fists on the table and sends the plate of bread rolls spilling onto the floor "People died! My brother died!"

The peacemaker who had been stood near the door rushes over and forces him back down into his seat, jabbing the butt of his baton into Manny's stomach.

Venus opens her hands and calls everyone to calm down "I realise that these Games are fraught with…with…emotion."

The scuffling pair scoffs but Venus continues. "You should be more professional; these tributes cannot help where they have come from and we need to demonstrate the mercy of the Capitol."

Manny shrugs the peacekeeper away from him and stalks back to his room "I don't need your mercy!" is his parting shot.

District 2: Silver

I arrive at the training floor with Nock and, at first; I am intimidated by the weapons which hang freely and dangerously, but then I see the rabble of strange children who are to be my adversaries and I feel only confidence in my ability to win.

A Capitol woman with a strong, athletic body beckons us all closer "We can begin" she calls.

We crowd around her in a circle and I count only eleven of us. Has someone already died? Is victory one step closer?

The Capitol woman speaks confidently "My name is Presha; I am here to oversee your training today and tomorrow." She gestures towards seven other instructors who are sat on stools around the room; each has a prop of some kind, one a tent, another some rope. "These people are experts in their field and I would recommend you spend time with each of them over the next two days. I will remain at the weapons station for those who wish to practice combat skills."

At first we all stand around, not really knowing what to do and looking nervously at each other. Nock catches my eye and walks confidently to the weapons station, he takes a sword and makes a few cautious stabs at the air before Presha puts a hand on his arm and calls for a training dummy.

The other tributes take this cue and find instructors of their own. I survey the training stations that are on offer; fire starting, shelter construction, water purification, foraging, knots and snares, tracking and trails, hunting.

I stop at the fire instructor and am given a piece of flint and steel for practice. As I work on a pile of kindling I hear the pair from District Seven talking about the missing tribute from District Twelve.

"I heard she tried to throw herself off the roof" The girl whispers as she sucks a splinter from her finger.

"What happens with her now?" Her District partner enquires but the girl shrugs and shakes her head "Who knows? Who knows anything here?"

District 5: Teller

At lunch we are led into a large room with benches and tables set up throughout. I queue for some chicken, mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables and decide to sit alone. I notice that the tributes from Districts One, Two and Four have dragged their benches together and chat loudly.

Should I try to find a friend? I've been avoiding my little District partner as I don't see any benefits to getting to know her before the Games; but would I feel more secure with a strong partner…an ally?

The door creaks open and the tall, pale girl from District Twelve tiptoes in; her face is expressionless at first but it creaks to life as she winces from some unseen bruising. Her District partner sits by her on the bench and I see him bend his head to see where the pain comes from, she gently pushes him away and rests her head on the table.

"If you'd like to return now!" Presha calls. Attendants arrive to clean up the dishes.

I stuff my leftover chicken into my mouth, unable to bring myself to waste it, and take a deep breath.

I avoid the firelighting station; back home I regularly use a flint and steel to light the fireplace and I don't think I have time to learn to light a fire with a bow. Instead I try my hand at shelter construction and struggle for an hour with various sticks, leaves and vines until I have created a tent-like structure which wouldn't hold up against a light breeze.

Feeling despondent I try again and I notice that the empty viewing gallery is now filling up with Capitol citizens. Their expressions vary from stern to pitying to disgust; they make notes on what we are doing and huddle in pairs and triads, pointing at us and having whispered discussions.

"Who are they?" I ask the shelter instructor and he points out the various Game makers and the top political advisors to President Snow. I feel such revulsion for these bringers of death that I shred a pile of leaves and earn a scolding from the instructor.

By the end of the first day I have made my way around all of the training stations and I am exhausted from trial and failure. My shelters were appalling, my snares a complete joke and I punctured a squirrel stomach whilst skinning it, leaving an unpleasant smell on my hands.

Day Two

District 10: Lash

I shift uncomfortably under the shower and realise that the shirt I wore for training yesterday has rubbed against my skin, leaving a small rash. The shower is set as hot as I can stand and it seeps the ache from my muscles; which grunt and complain as I walk back into the bedroom.

The lounge area is eerily quiet and I pause as I hear the clipped tones of Venus' voice coming from her bedroom, the woman is incapable of being truly discreet but her hushed tones cause me to tip toe as silently as I can towards the sound and press my ear to the wall.

"The silly girl only has herself to blame" Venus murmurs "She tried to throw herself off the roof what does she expect?"

There is an undistinguishable susurration as another voice, my stylist maybe, replies and Venus barks back "Well I can't agree! Her sister wouldn't have had to be shot if Laurel could just have some tribute pride"

I stagger to the lounge and collapse on the sofa, Manny was right, they do have our families and they will use them to punish us. The girl from District Twelve is now sister-less and her parents will have lost two daughters if Laurel doesn't make it back from the Games.

The lights suddenly come up and Venus bids me good morning as she enters the lounge and calls for breakfast. I push my feelings of fear and loathing deep down inside of me and make room for the delicious food instead.

"What's the plan for today?" Venus asks me as she chews her way through a stack of pancakes.

I count to five silently, trying to avoid screaming in anger at this cold, Capitol ghoul and reply with a measured voice "I'm going to do some weapons training, I did the survival stations yesterday."

Venus nods "Good idea…ah good morning Manny!"

My District partner doesn't acknowledge our Capitol liaison and silently begins his meal. I don't wait for him and go to the gymnasium as soon as I have finished eating, secretly hoping that I'll be there first and will have a chance to try the weapons without the watching eyes of other Tributes.

I swear under my breath as I see the girl from District Four jabbing a dummy in the eyes with a spear; but I am determined not to be deterred and stride confidently to Presha for a lesson in sword play.

District 2: Silver

Part way through lunch Nock and I are called aside by our Capitol liaison, Dallah. He explains that the Game makers would like to see us privately, all of us, to give us a chance to demonstrate what we have learned during training. He leads us through a small side door to another gymnasium.

Nock goes before me and I sit in a waiting room, wondering what skills I should display. I've been doing well with axes but I don't know whether the sight of me attacking a dummy is what they're looking for. Why do they even need to see us privately? The gossip around the Training Centre suggests that tributes who don't take part in the Games properly will be punished with the execution of a family member. The thought of a peacemaker putting a bullet in my mother's head sends a cold shiver down my spine and, when I am called; I enter the small gym and put all of my effort into destroying a dummy. After 10 minutes, one of the game makers tells me to stop and I am panting and sweating with exertion but I feel I have successfully proved my commitment to the Games and secured the safety of my family.

District 5: Teller

Training ends slightly earlier than yesterday, there is a compulsory television broadcast at six o'clock so I shower again and try to fight my rising desire to be sick with nerves at every moment. To stave off the nausea I order more and more food; stuffing myself with boiled eggs, shredded chicken salad and carrots.

The fanfare, which indicates the start of the television broadcast, causes an absolute squeal of delight from my stylist, Breen. The announcer reports that training has been 'a total success!' and that we are all completely prepared for tomorrow's Games.

I wonder where he is getting his information from as I feel totally ill-equipped for the tribulations ahead.

The announcer continues his report by saying that we have all been scored on our prowess thus far, my eyes widen as I think back to my timid performance in my private session and I slouch down into my chair.

I score a 4, out of 12, and my little District partner scores 2. I feel better when I see that most other tributes score between 4 and 6 but those from Districts One, Two and Four all pull scores of 9 to 11.

District 10: Lash

"What do the scores mean?" I ask, nursing my damaged pride at scoring a pitiful 5 in my private session.

Venus dabs her mouth nervously with a handkerchief before replying "Well….as you know the Capitol citizens will have the option to send you assistance during the Games and the scores…"

"The scores tell them who is worth helping" Manny grunts "I'm sure they're even betting on the outcome, making money off the deaths of the losers."

Venus doesn't disagree with him and this confirms to me that Manny is correct; the Capitol can take bets on my life. I see Venus clench her teeth as she braces herself for another onslaught from Manny about the unfairness of the Games, but he just marches back to his room and locks his door. It's as if the fight is gone from him.

"At least he isn't shouting anymore." Venus remarks coldly "You know they were going to put you all on a special broadcast and interview you about your experiences so far? Unfortunately, some tributes just cannot get into the spirit of the Games so it had to be cancelled. Lash dear you look pale…you should go to bed. It'll be an early start tomorrow, the transport leaves at dawn." Venus puts a hand on my arm and I shrug her away, I may not have the courage to fight the Capitol but I certainly don't want her sympathy or care.

District 2: Silver

I am ashamed to say that I have a moment of panic as I complete my nightly ablutions and, whilst brushing my teeth, I have an anxiety attack which leaves me clutching the sink and gasping for breath. An attendant rushes into the room with a drink of water and a cold cloth, a low murmur draws my attention to a rotating camera in the light fixture and I realise how they knew I was in distress.

The bed feels warm and my breathing slows. How do my family feel about my training score of 10? Only the boy from District 4 scored higher than me, I wonder what he did? Soon my questions feel foggy and my mind goes black as sleep descends on me. No more time to prepare, the Games must begin.


	5. Chapter 5: Let the Games begin

Let the Games begin!

District 2: Silver

The knock at my door isn't entirely unwelcome, my dreams were punctuated with violence and I wake in a cold sweat. I wash the ghost of sleep from my eyes and run my fingers through my close cropped hair.

Nock gives me a curt nod and we sit quietly at breakfast; our Capitol liaison looks tired and, when I ask about our stylists, he tells me that they were all up late completing last minute plans for the arena. The liaisons from Districts One and Four have met with our own and they have decided that, as we are the most loyal Panem Districts, we ought to band together.

I agree, it seems sensible to have allies who clearly share my values; plus I can keep my eye on Sturgeon, the boy from Four who scored more highly than myself in the private sessions.

District 5: Teller

The Capitol streets are spookily quiet. I am led to a spacious courtyard and there board a strange looking vehicle with the other tributes. A loud rushing sound begins from beneath my feet and the whole vehicle lifts into the air; at first I find it unsettling and, after around 30 minutes, I can feel the white noise giving me a headache.

A Capitol worker puts a metal bracelet around my wrist "It'll track your position and heart rate" she explains. I feel the urge to itch beneath it but the bracelet is skin tight and I can't get even a fingernail underneath.

A light snore indicates that the girl from District One has nodded off and the twelve year old boy from District Six is vomiting into a paper bag. I try to concentrate on my own feet and not the fact that this is likely to be the last time we will all be alive together.

District 10: Lash

I step shakily off the transport into an underground hangar. My stylist, Lucia, leads me through a complex network of corridors and into a very small room; she offers me some water and presents me with my outfit for the Games.

The ensemble consists of brown trousers which have pockets at the hips and calf, they are soft inside but the outer layer seems to be coated in something smooth. "Waterproof layer" Lucia clarifies. I also have a thin black vest, green shirt, thin brown coat, thick woollen socks and tough hiking boots. Additionally, I'm given a smallish navy rucksack which I sling over both shoulders.

Lucia pulls out a miniature sewing kit but, as I walk around, she puts it away. "Fits well?" she asks

I nod and sit on a hard chair. The stylist points to a metal circle on the floor "When the buzzer goes you need to stand on here and a tube will come down, then you'll rise up into the arena. Once you're on the surface a countdown will begin, stay on the metal circle and wait for the countdown to end then you can…run or fight…it's up to you"

"Ok" I pant a little as I speak "Anything else?"

"Yes, when someone dies a cannon will fire. The Capitol will collect the body and return it to the District it came from, move away from dead bodies and keep count of the cannon fire."

A buzzer jars me out of the thought of a tribute backing away from my cold corpse and I move to the metal circle. Just as I was warned, a clear tube separates me from Lucia and I feel machinery beneath my feet pushing me upwards towards a cold, clear sky.

District 5: Teller

The tubing rises with me and my breath fogs the glass as I look out to the arena. A voice seems to come directly from the sky "Tributes!" it calls "You have 60 seconds to wait."

I see a countdown timer atop a strange metal structure in the centre of a verdant, rolling field. I'm struck by how lush the environment is; there is little greenery in District 5 and certainly no wild edible plants. From my vantage point I can see clusters of supplies that have been left on the ground; knives, spare clothes, blankets and water.

As the 60 seconds are counting down, the clear tube slowly descends back into the ground and I am able to see clearly the rest of the arena. Tributes are in a circle around the oddly shaped metal box which, I can see, has been decked out with sleeping bags and a fire pit. Behind me is a vast forest that sweeps upwards to a ridge of mountains; in front of me I see the field continues for miles and is only punctuated by rocky outcrops.

District 10: Lash

The timer reaches zero and a buzzer goes off loudly. I look around furtively and see that no one is moving, even the more aggressive tributes are just standing on their circles and staring around. I reach a decision and sprint 30 feet to stuff a box of crackers and a bottle of water into my bag. This seems to spark off movement in the other tributes and I see many more scramble forwards for supplies.

I grab a sheathed knife, a hat and a thick coil of hardy rope when I feel something whizz past my head. I spot the boy from District One with a bow, his accuracy isn't perfect but I'd rather not stick around for him to get any better. I spy a bottle of iodine drops and take the risk to grab them before I run for the cover of the trees.

District 2: Silver

The first kill goes to Teelo, the boy from District One; he hits the boy from Eleven square in the chest with an arrow. Mya, his District partner, whoops and high-fives him as she spears the girl from Three in the back.

I am aware that the Capitol audience is watching us, wanting to see us 'get into the spirit of the Games' so I quickly find a weapon, a moderate sized axe, and run down the girl from Eight as she gathers supplies on the floor. I'm surprised by the amount of blood which sprays onto my face. A sharp scratch on my arm makes me turn around and I see a gash dripping blood on the ground where a knife has fallen. About a meter away from me the boy from Three, who must have thrown the knife, starts to stumble backwards and seems to regret his decision to fight. I feel a strange mixture of revulsion and rage and I scream as I advance on him with my axe raised; he rallies himself and grabs a short sword from the ground, raising it to counter a blow from my own weapon. My heart beat thunders in my ears and I pour anger and hate into my attack, the boy is reduced to nothing more than a mangled stain on the ground.

I turn and survey the field, most tributes have fled without even taking supplies, but I see that Mya has spotted the little girl from District Five cowering behind the strange metal box; she hesitates for half a second before stabbing her spear up through the girl's throat and letting her small body fall to the ground. Soon there are only the tributes from One and Four, Nock and myself left stood on the blood stained ground. We share an uncomfortable moment and none of us wants to be the first to drop our weapons. Eventually the cannon begin to fire, once for each of the five dead tributes, and this disperses the tension. We look around the ground and pick up the supplies which have been left by the tributes who lacked the courage to fight for them.

District 10: Lash

There are tributes everywhere! I keep running through the forest and swiftly changing direction but, no matter what, I see or hear a tribute crashing their way through the trees. My side aches and I have a desperate need to urinate but I can't stop so I just keep ploughing on.

District 5: Teller

Flailing limbs and pale faces are everywhere as I barrel through the forest and it is at least an hour before I my breathing becomes less ragged and I slow to a brisk walk. I'm struggling to process my surroundings and I have no idea where I am in relation to the metal box or where I'm even walking to. I only know that I need to be away from the other tributes. The air is fresh in my lungs and cool against my skin. I have been so cooped up during the last couple of days that I feel a little less nauseated than usual. I wonder where in Panem I am. We've had barely two months of peace so how could the Capitol have created an arena so quickly? It's more likely that they just put us in an open stretch of land, but how are they keeping watch over us? Sure the bracelet tells them if I'm still alive but these 'Games' can't be very interesting for the audience if they're just watching a red dot move across a map. I come to the conclusion that there must be hundreds and hundreds of cameras and microphones throughout the arena. This in itself seems like a mammoth task and I wonder whether the idea for these Games was born out of the rebellion or before it.

A droplet of water hits my cheek and I realise that a cold rain is being blocked slightly by the sparse canopy of the trees. I rummage in my backpack for the canister I took from the ground near my starting position and decide to prop it up on a branch to fill it.

My muscles ache from exertion and I decide to rest while my canister fills. I take off my jacket and lay it so that the waterproof side faces the ground; creating a warm, if slightly damp, seat. I empty my pockets of the various supplies that I acquired on the starting field, fortunately the stronger tributes had been around the other side of the metal box and it gave me a few uninterrupted moments to stuff my pockets full.

I pack my rucksack carefully with my woollen blanket, sewing kit, coil of fishing line, spearhead (I lost the stick in my escape) and strips of salt beef. I also have a folding knife, it's not particularly cruel looking but it is sharp and I keep it in my trouser pocket.

My stomach growls and I'm tempted to each some beef but I'm worried that I'll vomit if I have to run again anytime soon, so I decide to just sit as silently as possible listening to the drip drip of water filling my canister and looking for tributes through the trees.

District 10: Lash

Okay….I think I can stop now. I think I can stop now. What was that...no…keep walking.

I'm glad of the rain; I open my mouth as I walk and rub some into my head, despite the coolness of the air, my forehead is burning hot from exertion. I look around the forest, the trees are not thickly clustered and a good deal of daylight is pervading the canopy.

The landscape is so different from District 10, the terrain here slopes upwards and the trees are huge and leafy. It gives me an idea and I wander a little looking for an ideal specimen. Eventually I spot a species of tree that I recognise, a huge beech with thick branches but small leaves.

I take a couple of breaths to prepare and start to climb, hands trembling as I get higher than 10 feet and push on upwards. I am very tall for a girl of my age and I'm soon able to extend my neck and see around me in all directions. I think I see a clearing in the trees not far from here and I know I can see a waterfall in the distance; I could reach it if I hike for another few hours. I look down and clutch the trunk of the tree, why can't climbing down be as easy as climbing up?

District 2: Silver

The rain plinks against the metal box. We moved inside to allow a strange claw to collect the corpses of the fallen tributes. The supplies collected from the field have been stored at the back of the metal box and we take torches, food, water and a small medical kit for our backpacks. We all have weapons too, of course. I have my axe and I confess I'm growing attached to it. Certainly to the security it brings.

After two hours hiking I am truly bored and more than a little damp from the rain. The adrenaline rush of the initial battle has worn away from us all and, despite the fact that it is only early afternoon, I could happily sleep until tomorrow.

We don't really know what we're looking for and I kick myself for not spending more time at the survival stations where I could have learned to track and pick up trails.

"I suppose all the tributes will be looking for shelter" Teelo remarks.

I nod, they certainly won't be worried about water right now, the fine rain has turned into a shower and I'm glad for the sheets of plastic which we were able to fashion into makeshift ponchos.

A scream punctuates the patter of rain against leaves and, as one, we break into a run. I see the girl from District 9 lay screaming on the forest floor; I search her body for a knife wound but she hasn't been attacked by another tribute, her left foot has been separated from her leg by the angry jaws of an animal trap. The girl's body is pale and her eyes roll back as she starts to fit meanwhile the stump of her leg is haemorrhaging blood at an alarming rate. We freeze and, when the cannon fires, we continue silently onwards through the trees searching for a tribute we can kill. However we're a lot more careful of where we place our feet.

Eventually Mya asks the question we've all been pondering "How many traps do you think are out there?"

"Just be quiet and watch your feet" I reply.

District 5: Teller

The rain finally subsides and I shiver in the late afternoon air. I spot a patch of brambles and strip blackberries from the stems but, an hour later, I have to indulge in one of my strips of salt beef. My stomach is too used to the food of the Capitol and I scold myself for becoming soft. I think of my family back home, working hard to rebuild my District and begging for scraps at the doors of the Justice building like animals. I must win this, not to show my love for the Capitol but to give a better life to my family.

Eventually I reach the treeline and, to my right, I can see the metal container that indicates the place where I began my exhausting journey. I feel a rising sensation of fear that another tribute could see me and annoyance that I have hiked almost all day to end up back at the beginning. I'm starting to worry about where I'm going to spend the night; I can't keep going much longer before collapse and I'd rather not be exposed if the bad weather starts again. I look back into the forest and consider climbing a tree or digging a hole but both seem like poor choices and I worry about how full of other tributes the forest seemed to be as I ran.

I risk peering round the edge of the treeline and I don't see any bodies around the metal box, though I don't doubt that many tributes will return here for supplies, especially if they didn't take something with them for carrying water. I look out across the field, the grasses are waist high on me and I could crouch and shuffle along without being seen. There is a rocky outcrop which I think I could reach before nightfall and, hopefully, find some shelter.

District 10: Lash

By early evening I have reached the waterfall. My feet ache and my hands tremble with exhaustion but I am gratified to see the clear, rushing water that spills from a hole in the mountain face. I had hoped to find a cave-like structure in which to rest and camouflage myself but no such luck. The mountain is covered in shiny, slippery rocks but any cracks appear to be salivating with fresh water. I have no energy left to hike up or around the mountain so I decide to climb a strong tree and use my rope to tie myself into it.

I am pleasantly surprised when I take the rope from my bag. I haven't looked at it too closely; I simply grabbed it as it seemed useful. However, I now see the two loopholes which, when pulled, reveal that the mid-portion rope is actually a folded hammock that concertinas out as I keep pulling. The rest of the rope is incredibly tough and the clips at each end make me glad to have spent time at the shelter construction training station, as I know I can put this up properly in a high tree.

I choose another beech and climb higher than I have ever risked doing before. I loop the rope back through the metal clips and I feel sure the instructors would be proud that their training was well remembered. I pull the hammock outwards and clip it securely in place and survey my work. I feel an absurd moment of embarrassment as I skin my knee climbing into the hammock and I shake myself back to the reality that there is an audience watching me die with as much verve as they watch me succeed. My height stops the hammock from being truly comfortable and I worry that anyone stood directly under me would see me immediately but I put on my woollen hat, pull my hands into my sleeves and try to nestle down. I see a glow somewhere through the trees; at least one tribute has found a way to be warm.

District 2: Silver

Sturgeon is complaining and wanting to go back to camp, I'm worried that the tributes will gain more and more ground on us if we don't keep hunting but I'm also shivering from the cold evening air so I relent and agree to return to our campsite at the metal box.

As we reach the treeline we pull our weapons in fright of the trumpeting sound that punctuates the night-time air. A sudden spotlight in the sky shows the Capitol seal and the words "Remembering our fallen tributes" can be read beneath it. We see the images of the six tributes that have died and then the sky goes black once more.

"Six down…" Nock remarks and we nod to each other, an odd congratulations of our efforts thus far. The camp looks to have been disturbed, someone has taken a sleeping bag and others have attacked our stores of food and water. There is plenty left and we share bread and fruit before getting a fire started and arguing over who should take first watch.

Finally, I agree to sit up until midnight and then I'll wake Nock to take over. I try not to feel too jealous as I see them snuggle into the warm sleeping bags. I position myself with my back to the metal box, to avoid anyone sneaking up on me, and put two blankets around my shoulders. I grip my spear and peer out into the darkness.

District 5: Teller

I'm sad but unsurprised to see little Vic's face in the sky. I didn't know her family but I know someone out there must have loved her and wanted her to come home. I'm glad I didn't get to know her in training.

The cave is damp and cold. I'm glad I didn't give in and use my blanket until now as it's still fairly dry from being in my rucksack. For some reason I'm surprised that only six tributes have died, what was I expecting? Not this anyway. Even after doing survival training I didn't really believe the arena would be a bizarre yet deadly camping experience but, now I'm here, I feel a strange sense of…anti-climax? Is that the word? I shake my head and try to banish such ridiculous thoughts, I'm glad I survived this first day and I know that tomorrow will bring more challenges, not least because I am too close to the career camp for comfort. When I wake I will move to another outcrop I see in the distance, I can also see vegetation on the ground and this leads me to think there could be a spring or river. I want to tuck my hands under my armpits but I don't dare let go of my knife. My head begins to spin with fatigue and I let go of the weapon, pull my arms into my coat for warmth and drift off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6: Angry wolves and broken limbs

Day Two

District 5: Teller

It's still dark when I awake but there are streaks of red that pierce the inky blue sky. I forget where I am for a moment and wonder why I can't hear the slow footfalls of the power plant morning shift as they trudge to work. My body aches when I sit up and I spend a few minutes wiggling my toes until, with a panic, I remember my proximity to the metal box and the tributes who camp there. A peek outside shows their fire has died away and whoever is on watch is facing the other direction, this is my chance.

I pack my blanket into my rucksack and prepare myself for an uncomfortable journey; I will need to bend at the waist to keep myself hidden in the grass and the rocky outcrop I am aiming for is at least an hour away.

District 2: Silver

Mya rouses me from my rest and I feel a moment of resentment at how attractive she looks. For a girl who has had barely four hours sleep she appears to have found a pretty new way to tie up her glossy brown hair and there is an energetic gleam in her eyes.

"We've had a gift!" She shrieks and I see her proffer a metal tray towards me. It bubbles with a thick russet stew and I gobble it quickly as the others are roused from their sleeping bags, all happy to be warmed by the food.

"You should've kept a better eye on the fire" Teelo scolds, punching her playfully on the shoulder.

Mya scowls and makes a rude gesture at him "The boy from Eight stuck his face out of the trees about an hour ago, I tried an arrow as he ran away but no cannon."

"Did the food come in that?" Sturgeon indicates the parachute on the floor.

Mya nods "Yeah, it just sailed down. Someone wants us to get moving."

We all murmur our assent and, glad to be full of warm food on a cold morning; we pack our rucksacks and ready our weapons for the day ahead.

District 10: Lash

The rope has left a zig-zag imprint in my skin and it hurts to peel myself from it. I try to climb out with some dignity but end up swinging precariously from side to side and even let out a small squeal of panic that I'll be tipped straight onto the floor. I can't quite get the hammock to concertina back the way it was before, but I repack it as best I can before climbing carefully down to the floor.

The pool of water below the waterfall looks clear enough but I use my iodine drops before I drink. I have to urinate and my cheeks burn red with embarrassment at the thought that I might be shown on television at such a personal moment.

I drink deeply of my flask and eat a cracker in an attempt to quell the grumbling of my stomach. Should I move on? I have a source of water here and, being used to hunger, I could last another day without food. My stomach groans as if it doesn't approve of my plan but I'm reluctant to move away from a sturdy tree and source of water. I decide to hike up the mountain a little and look for food but return here later to rest.

District 2: Silver

We feel elated when we see a smear of blood on the ground. Mya's arrow must have stuck the tribute and we fall silent as we look for evidence of the injured boy; a broken branch, a trampled patch of bramble and a smear of blood on a rock.

Our intense focus is palpable and, when Sturgeon gives a hand signal to follow him, we don't argue about who is in charge we simply follow. The hunt goes on for hours and I'll admit that I'm impressed the tribute got so far. Eventually, with the sun high in the sky, we hear a small groan and a sharp intake of breath. I spy him at the base of a tree, he's attempting to stitch his leg wound and a silver parachute lies next to him on the ground; clearly I'm not the only one impressed with how far he got. I touch Farlie's shoulder and point, she does the same up the line and we fan out on our approach. We are almost on top of him when he looks up and his gaze meets mine. He springs up and begins to run, barrelling through the trees faster than you would think someone could with stitching hanging from a deep wound.

I don't feel the presence of my group or the scratches of the branches that whip my face; I direct all my attention on this boy who must die. My knife is ready and I kick at his heels, pushing him into the ground. He screams out in pain and calls for my death, for mercy and for his mother. My knife stabs again and again into his chest, making his voice fractured at first and then giving way to silence. I look down at my blood soaked hands, a lump of burning vomit comes to my throat and I swallow it back down with a grimace. As the unpleasant inflammation makes its way to my gut I remind myself why I am here, that District Eight was one of the most rebellious and that I must be part of the Games in order to go home.

District 5: Teller

I crawl the last few meters on my hands and knees and, on more than one occasion, I have to risk standing straight to quench the burning pain in my spine. I reach the rocks and I am glad I made the journey, the formation hides the beginning of a small valley and a river curves its way up to the cool spring at the rock formation. My heart leaps and my stomach growls when I identify cattails, their tall leaves and huge seedpods grow near the pond back in Five; I'm so hungry that it takes all my willpower not to run upright but to remain bent until the huge cattail plants can hide my standing body. I go to work picking and peeling until I get to the heart of one plant and crunch it down; the high water content refreshes my mouth and the sandpaper feeling on my tongue lessens. I look at the stream and wish I had some iodine drops or some dry wood for a fire. I bite my lip and struggle to decide whether to go in search of firewood or risk a quick drink; I can't allow myself to fall ill from dirty water but it still takes all of my resolve to tear myself from the seemingly clean water and towards the forest. After yesterday's rain most firewood will be wet but I've lit enough fires in our hearth back home to feel confident I can coax a flame from something.

I walk confidently through the high grass but this camouflage ends when the marshy soil gives way to the dry field and detritus from the forest floor. I sprint across a few meters of open meadowland before flattening myself against a tree and listening for the footfalls of hunting tributes. Once I feel I am alone (with only the whole of Panem watching me) I shove a piece of cattail in my mouth and suck it whilst I search for kindling.

I am a little way into the forest when a voice by my ear growls angrily "Come any closer and I'll kill you." I freeze and a drop of urine finds a path down my inner thigh. No weapon is forthcoming so I risk turning my head and see only empty space but the message continues. "Come any closer and I'll kill you" is repeated from the same place as before. I think I may be going mad until a little black bird hops down the silver birch and opens its mouth "Come any closer and I'll kill you."

I'm confused until I realise it must be a jabberjay; we don't see much fauna in District Five but I've seen these during the rebellion when they were sent to us with messages of uprising. I'm relieved for all of ten seconds until I realise they must have picked the message up from someone here, someone nearby maybe? A spear lands near my feet and answers my question; I don't want to fight so I turn and run back to the river where I wait, with a pounding heart, for someone to kill me.

District 10: Lash

Hiking on an empty stomach is exhausting. The training centre taught me how to set a snare and I have sacrificed two fibres from my hammock to set a couple near my sleeping tree. For now I am foraging for nuts, plants, anything that I can eat.

I hear a scream ahead and panic rises within me, erasing any hunger from my mind, footsteps seem to be coming my way and I see someone far ahead running through the trees. I turn and run quickly but I feel so dizzy from terror that I stumble and fall over my own feet. The furious footsteps draw closer and I risk a look behind me as I course my way down the mountain; a pack of huge wolves are chasing the girl from District 6, she's clearly being running for some time and the animals snap at her heels when they draw close.

I slam into a tree with a sickening crunch leaving blood streaming from my nose. I seize a low branch and heave myself upwards as high as I dare and then lie, hugging the tree and praying. I see the girl run past my hiding place and most of the wolves follow; the lead wolf pounces and there is a frenzy of snarling and tearing until a cannon signals that, for her at least, it is all over. Two wolves remain at the base of my tree and growl menacingly at me.

I've seen wolves before, our cattle fields attract them and my panic subsides as I realise that these are the regular kind of grey wolf instead of some Capitol monstrosity. I'm glad I have my backpack on me, though I don't think this tree is strong enough for my hammock, the best thing to do now is wait for the wolves to get bored and move on.

District 2: Silver

I hear the howls of wolves in the distance; I think we're quite far away but we change our direction anyway to avoid crossing their path. We are warm from hunting but many hiding tributes will be feeling the cold of the afternoon and Nock kicks through the coals of someone's fire; they are still a little warm, suggesting that someone is nearby.

We stop for a moment, looking for signs similar to our hunt from the morning and Sturgeon sees a few partial footprints on branches that suggest our prey has been climbing trees to hide and rest. I stare up into the foliage and look for a tribute huddling in fear.

What we don't expect are the arrows which begin to rain down on us from above.

An arrow hits Mya in the shoulder and she gives a shriek of anger and pain before trying to raise her own bow at the trees, but it's clear she can no longer use it. Nock dodges the next arrow and begins to climb the tree but a rock whizzes past him from another direction and I see another tribute in a nearby tree has decided to enter the attack.

Farlie hefts a spear and sends it up at the rock throwing tribute; we hear a thunk as it sticks but the tribute still continues their barrage attack. Meanwhile; Nock has reached the tribute with the bow, it is the boy from District Seven and Nock has him in a headlock on the branch as he wrests the weapon from his grip. I admire the boy's bravery but he has no hope of winning, Nock is far stronger and shoves him from the tree to the forest floor where Sturgeon sticks him with a sword and a cannon fires. Farlie struggles to grip his District partner; she is clearly not a confident climber and the girl from Seven tries to drag herself ever higher up the tree and, although her progress is hampered by the spear wound to her leg, she manages to grasp the top branches. Farlie braves the climb and, as her fingers brush the girl's boot, a loud crack rings out through the forest and the branches beneath them brake away. Farlie and the girl tumble down through the tree and land heavily on the forest floor. The girl has a broken neck and a cannon sounds to signify her demise but it is punctuated by Farlie's cries of distress.

"Is it broken?" Sturgeon asks

"Ah…I don't know….I don't think so." Farlie grimaces as she wiggles her toes "I don't think I can stand though"

Nock and I catch each other's eye and share an uncomfortable glance…should we just leave her? I mean…yes we're working together now but that can't last forever.

Sturgeon finds her a sturdy branch for support. I wonder if Farlie sensed our thoughts as she is keen to carry on hunting.

"Honestly I'm fine now, give me a minute I'll be running" Her bright eyes hide her pain and fear but her District partner comes over all concerned. Sturgeon says we should get back to camp and see if there's anything for her leg and Mya's shoulder. I try to convince them that we should split into two groups but the wolves howl in the distance and I feel a sudden urge to light a huge fire and sit in a metal box.

District 10: Lash

Okay…they're not going away. Back in Ten, the only time we're grateful for the peacekeepers is when a wolf pack decides to come calling. They usually take a calf or lamb from the grazing field but, every now and again, they might take a young shepherd or come right up to the fence that surrounds the town. There's no way I'm getting out of this tree; the worst thing you can do is try to outrun them because they're so much faster than humans. I don't have any long range weapons and they've not been deterred by the branches I threw down so my only choice is to keep waiting….I put on my woollen hat and pull my hands inside my sleeves. At least my nose has stopped bleeding.

District 5: Teller

After, perhaps an hour, I calm down and realise that no one is coming to kill me. I dropped my kindling when I ran and I don't want to head back into the firing zone so I risk drinking the water without boiling it. I strip some more cattails and dig up the roots, they're better roasted or boiled but for now I peel them and put them in a pocket of my rucksack to dry. The river is fairly wide and I wonder if there are any fish; I dig in the marshy soil until I find a worm and affix it to the little folding hook at the end of my fishing line. With my line in the water and a good meal of cattail I could almost be at peace in this little spot.

As the evening darkens I really begin to feel the cold and I consider hiking back to my cave…but at least here I am camouflaged by the reeds, better to stay and hope it doesn't rain. I hold my fishing line and finally feel a tug; I pull it in and am rewarded with a medium sized trout. I wish I had a fire to cook it but I can't stop myself from biting into it and tugging the slimy flesh from the sharp bones.

The seal appears in the sky in the same way as the night before and I see the faces of four dead tributes. How many are left? I do a quick count and realise that there are only fourteen. Almost half of us are dead in only two days. A parachute surprises me as it floats down from the sky, it is attached to a metal pot and I almost whoop for joy when I take a wary look inside. Fire stones! I've seen these before, in fact an uncle of mine helped to develop them; you strike two of them together to create a spark and they burn like logs but don't disintegrate in fire!

Within fifteen minutes I have a little fire going and I use the metal pot to boil some water. For the first time in two days I actually feel happy.


	7. Chapter 7: It's a trap!

Day Three

District 10: Lash

Sometime in the eerie gloom of dawn, the wolves lose interest. I half climb and half fall down the tree, my limbs are stiff and painful from gripping a thin branch and I'm chilled to the bone from the cold night. On the forest floor; I take a moment to listen for the wolves or other tributes and then stretch the ache out of my legs and spine. I pick the crust of dried blood from my nostril, finish the water that I had been sipping overnight and eat my final two crackers; hopefully I can find some food in the forest today. I'm not exactly enamoured at the thought of climbing another tree but the wolves have set me on edge, I need to be out of their reach and I could do with an hour or two of sleep in my hammock, I need to get back to the waterfall.

District 2: Silver

I am awake early, there are no parachutes from the Capitol so we breakfast on the provisions we took ownership of on the first day of the Games; strips of salted fish and beef, crackers and water. I grimace as I run my tongue over my dirty teeth and I think wistfully of our accommodation in the Capitol; soft beds and clean clothes seem so long ago.

Mya is lucky, her arrow wound was not too deep; Teelo cleaned and bandaged it last night and now it looks sore, but at least she has the use of her arm. Farlie has not fared so well, angry bruises and tiny lacerations cover her thigh, shredding her trousers and stopping her from standing or walking without the aid of her stick.

"I can stay here and guard supplies" Farlie's speech is calm and even but I can tell that she's nervous, does she think we'll cut her down right here?

We leave Farlie at the metal box and set out across the field without discussion, thoughts of the wolves keeps us out of the forest for now, and I think a fair few tributes must have also run to the distant long grass in fear.

District 5: Teller

I am cold and damp when I awake. The grasses that surround me are wet with an unfriendly mist and my blanket is beaded with drops of morning dew. Firstly I cast my fishing line, then I start a fire and warm my hands; thankfully the stones give off very little smoke, but they are vulnerable to rain, so I pull the high grasses together and begin the busy job of plaiting them into a shelter. Later I'll gather cattail heart and roots, I can roast them on the fire and they'll be good to eat for a few days.

District 10: Lash

I am gladdened to hear the rush of the waterfall but my heart positively soars when I see a dead rabbit caught in one of the snares I set yesterday. I skin it clumsily and take out the entrails, nicking my thumb on the blade of my knife.

I need a fire…I look for kindling and wood suitable for making a bow drill but my attempts are pitiful. I'm struggling to remain calm and quiet as the wood scratches my fingers and splinters stick under my nails; my stomach growls and my temper reaches breaking point. I grab the grotesque, dismembered rabbit and tear into it with my teeth, ripping the strong tasting meat from the bone and swallowing it so quickly that I have hiccups long after the meal is done. I reset the snares and purify some water; the sun is rising higher in the sky but the air stubbornly refuses to warm up, so I climb a sturdy tree, set up my hammock and try to get some rest. The howls of the wolf pack can be heard up the mountain, I wonder if they have found another tribute to chase.

District 2: Silver

We eat on the move and I think wistfully of the tasty Capitol food as I choke down my portion of preserved fish.

"Look here" Nock indicates a smear of blood on the grass, its dry so whoever made it could be far away by now.

Hours later, with the sun at its zenith, Sturgeon gives a sigh of exasperation "Where is everyone? Shouldn't they be fighting too?"

"They're cowards" I reply and everyone nods in agreement, but we all want to burst with frustration; there are six in our group so there are eight tributes out there in the arena for us to kill. Surely, by now, they are mostly exhausted and hungry? Aren't they all waiting to die somewhere?

District 5: Teller

I carry on weaving and braiding the grass until I have almost totally encircled myself; I can hunch under it and actually feel some shelter from the cool breeze. I look out across the clear spring water and shiver. A voice catches on the wind and my heart shudders in my chest….I huddle into the woven grass and crouch, positioning my backpack so that I am ready to sprint.

"I see water" a girl's voice announces "Let's stop and refill the bottles."

I risk peering through the tall stalks of cattail and see the aggressive group of tributes from the metal box break through to the bank of the river; they're a little way south of my position so I decide to stay hidden and ignore the burning pain building in my thighs. The boy from District Four stamps his feet and huffs an exasperated breath of cold air; he drops his little bottle of iodine drops and, as he reaches to pick it up, our eyes lock in a tense gaze. I don't hear him call out to his allies as I am already moving, tearing through the long grass and looking around desperately for a safe destination.

I can hear shouts behind me and I know that the other tributes are gaining quickly, I allow my path to curve and run towards the treeline of the forest where I had previously tried to gather firewood. jabberjays shriek their memorised threats at me from the branches of the trees and I know the tribute who has taught them must be nearby; hopefully they'll see I'm being pursued and won't attack.

District 2: Silver

The tall reeds make it difficult to see the fleeing tribute but we stay on his tail. He speeds towards the forest; perhaps he thinks there'll be more cover there. I ready my knife and take aim at the bolting back of the boy just ahead when I feel a whoosh of air and a sharp pain on the side of my head. I fall to the ground and put my hand to the side of my face, it comes away dripping wet and my ear fills with blood. A spear lies red and gory on the ground ahead of me and I hear a shrill threat in the air "I'll kill you!" The warning words are echoed all around us by a flock of birds "Come any closer and I'll kill you!"

Another spear shoots down and narrowly misses Mya; she jumps out of the way and takes shelter behind a tree. "Can you see who's shooting us?" Teelo bellows from his crouched position behind a thicket

"No!" Mya and I call back in unison

"Where's Sturgeon?" I shout, looking furtively through the trees for our attacker.

Another spear whistles down from above and lands close to Nock's ankle "Dunno…screw him. I want whoever's up there!"

The spears stop coming and the forest falls quiet except for the jabberjays that weave the occasional threat into the air around us. Perhaps the attacker has taken the opportunity to move on. A cannon booms and the birds twitter furiously, another spear is loosed but hits only the empty forest floor. This strikes me as unusual, why would a tribute risk revealing their position without a clear target? This thought seems also to have occurred to Mya, Nock and Teelo as they too look upwards with confused expressions.

I think I know what's happening but I grab a nearby rock to test my theory. I hurl it into the air and it hits a tree branch, dislodging the jabberjays who were resting there. Immediately the birds take flight and their calls ring out "I'm going to kill you!" A few moments later a spear shoots in the direction of the branch and sticks in the tree, had a tribute been sitting there they would surely have been killed. I throw another rock and dislodge more birds, but this time I watch for the source of the spear; I am gratified to see a section of tree trunk slide open and a cruel spear fire from a mechanism within before the tree trunk reseals.

"It's not a tribute" I whisper as loudly as I dare "The spears are in the trees, the birds signal them to fire."

"Which way should we go?" Mya murmers back, eyeing the jabberjays with caution.

I look to our left, the treeline isn't too far away, we could make a run for it and get back to camp easily, but what about the tribute? Is there any point chasing him into the forest? Was the cannon a sign that Sturgeon had already caught him? How far does this spear setup go? I use my sleeve to clean out my ear, the spearhead has left a deep gash in the side of my face and I suddenly feel so tired and despondent that I motion for the others to follow me to the treeline and we leave the forest as quietly as we can.

District 5: Teller

My heart races and I realise that I must be out of range of the trap. The corpse of the boy from District 4 lies on the ground, a spear sticking through his skull and a vacant, soulless gaze in his dead eyes.

This area of the arena is new to me, the trees seem to be very close together and the air is even colder thanks to the weak rays of the late afternoon sun. I'm glad that I prepared some food this morning and I chew a piece of roasted cattail root as I hike eastwards, towards the river. My hiding place at the spring is likely too dangerous for me to return to but I don't want to be too far from fresh water. A wolf howl sounds at my back and I pick up my pace, suddenly desperate to see the sky clearly and find shelter.

District 10: Lash

The boom of the cannon awakens me and I lie still, listening for approaching footsteps before I dare to peer over the edge of my hammock. My stomach still growls, the rabbit sits heavily but I don't feel satisfied and I climb down to the ground to pick around the rocks at the base of the waterfall, I don't want to risk climbing the mountain and running into the wolf pack again.

By late afternoon, I have a squirrel caught in my snare and yet again I resign myself to eating it raw, after becoming infuriated with my appalling fire starting skills. I want to cry defeat, call for my mother and crawl onto my little wooden bed back home.

I think of Laurel, the poor girl from Twelve who tried to kill herself and so caused the death of her family as punishment. Then I think of my parents, they must be so scared for me…I will not let them watch me die and I will not cause their death by failing to play the Capitol's sick Games.

With a huff of determination I wipe my tear stricken eyes and pick my wretched body up off the cold, wet ground. I find more sticks suitable for fire-lighting and craft a bow drill, it takes hours of splinters and broken fingernails but I finally get a spark. I hold the precious little glow in some mossy kindling and blow on it, the smokes nearly chokes me but the kiss of the flames on my fingertips is like the kiss of life itself.

I want to cry out to the heavens and beat my fists in triumph…but I don't. Instead I chop my squirrel into chunks and roast it over the flames. Something touches my shoulder and I jump with fright; a small silver parachute has caught on my jacket, it is attached to a cloth parcel inside which is a loaf of bread. I put it to my nose and inhale the glorious scent of raisins and cherries, this bread is premium stuff and my stomach gnaws at me for not stuffing the whole thing into my mouth. Instead, I put out my fire; the dusk has hidden the smoke so far but soon it'll be a beacon to any hunting tribute for at least a mile. I climb my tree and spend the final hour of dwindling light weaving leaves into the base of my hammock, now I can lie in it without being spotted from below.

District Two: Silver

Farlie is sullen when we see Sturgeon's picture in the air, apparently they were friends back home and she nearly bites Teelo's head off for mentioning that we're now one step closer to the end. I can see that she's still struggling to walk; even with her stick, she holds a pained expression as she hobbles around our camp.

"You lot get some sleep" Farlie mutters "I'll take first watch."

I nod and retire to my sleeping bag, my stomach growls a little but I can't face more strips of dried fish so I nibble a cracker and close my eyes.


	8. Chapter 8: Glitter doesn't mean gold

Day Four

District 2: Silver

The streaks of dawn are finally in the sky; I throw another handful of sticks on the fire and jump back as it roars aggressively at me. I feel so chilled that I'm sure my breath will freeze in the air but I know that there must be others out there much colder than I.

I pick through the food supplies and find a metal pot of grain; I decant half of it into another storage tub for later and add water to the pot before hanging it over the fire to boil. My gaze is drawn to Farlie; her blanket has slipped off her legs and revealed her blackened and swollen ankle. She stirs, as if the weight of my scrutiny has disturbed her, and quickly struggles to her feet with a manic grin.

"Morning, there's porridge" I tell her and get a thumbs up in return.

"Where to today?" Nock asks, pulling on his trousers and stretching his toned chest "We need a kill"

I nod and Mya suggests we follow the river we found yesterday, there are bound to be tributes camping alongside the clean water.

"You coming?" Teelo asks

Farlie's gaze is so icy she could use it to reduce the swelling of her ankle, but she forces a bright smile. "Why don't I stay here? The other tributes are bound to be pretty hungry by now; if we leave they'll raid the stores."

Teelo scoffs in response; he mutters and rolls his eyes. I see Farlie's eyes narrow and, for a moment, I think she might punch him but then she thinks better of it and hobbles away to tidy the sleeping bags.

"Come on" Mya hands Teelo a sword "Lets just go."

District 10: Lash

I wake long before dawn and listen to the sound of something rustling beneath me. I don't know if it's a tribute or an animal but I don't move until the forest is silent once more.

Starting a fire is still arduous and the sky streaks red with dawn just to spite me. I curse and wince as a long splinter claims my thumbnail and it pings away into the detritus of the forest floor, I stop for a while to suck on my stinging digit and express hushed obscenities at the wood. Thankfully, my perseverance is rewarded and I warm myself over the splendid flames.

A crunch catches my ear and I jump up ready to fight or flee…but there is no one around, perhaps my tired and cold mind is becoming addled.

I don't need to put my fire out until the forest is really light, so I concentrate on getting warm and eat some of the delicious Capitol bread a sponsor sent me yesterday.

District 5: Teller

My feet ache; I risk loosening a boot and spot the beginnings of a blister on my heel. My burrow at the spring seems like an age away and I finished the last of my water in the small hours of the morning.

I know I am lost; somewhere in the bleak night I have deviated away from my original path and now I am in the deep forest. The sun must be up but the light is fractured by the heavy tree canopy and I feel as if I am walking through a strange, permanent twilight.

I hear a patter of rain, not much falls through the canopy but I position myself below a large, dripping leaf and rinse out my mouth. Each direction looks the same so I trudge ever onwards, hoping to find a break in the treeline.

District 2: Silver

Teelo is in a foul mood, his anger and frustration is taken out on the long grasses; he bunches them in his hands and shreds them to pieces.

"We're not babying her" He rages "These Games need people to die…she's weak so she should die."

Nock and I exchange a furtive glance, he moves towards me and mumbles that it might be time to leave this pack and break out on our own. I'm tempted to agree but then I feel far safer with the group; besides I know Nock could easily stab me in my sleep when I stop being useful. I'm about to reply when Mya shrieks and points to the smoke rising out of the grasses on the other side of the river. All irritation gone we duck into the grass and peer out; the pair from District 12 are packing up their makeshift camp, they put out the fire and fold a piece of plastic that they must have been using for shelter. If we had arrived at the river even fifteen minutes later then we may never have spotted them.

As one, we charge; running with our deadly weapons poised and ready, we forge the river and Mya slips as we try to find footing on the riverbed stones. The boy looses an arrow at us from his bow, I'm impressed that his scrawny frame could even create tension in the bowstring, but the wind carries his attack into the water. The girl is already running, tearing through the long reeds and disappearing into the grass; Mya and I charge after her and I can see that something has swiped at her leg; she drips blood as she moves and her trousers are torn. The girl stumbles over a rock, she tries to right herself but Mya has a grip on her shirt and throws her heavily to the ground. I stamp on the back of the girl's head and hear the crunch of a broken nose and jaw; I stick my short sword into the nape of her neck and hear a throaty gurgle, before she dies.

The cannon booms and we sip water on our way back to the riverbed, hoping to meet up with the others, when we hear screams. Mya breaks into a run; there is a pained expression on her face as she calls for Teelo and I wonder whether she wishes there was more between them than is possible in an arena. Pushing through the reeds we see the screaming boy from Twelve being beaten by Teelo as Nock holds him down. The minutes are long and Teelo's neck bulges with veins and anger before, eventually, he slits the boy's throat and a cannon sounds his death.

Nock uses river water to clean the spattered blood from his cheek and I take the opportunity to clean my sword. The silence is disturbed by the whisper of a parachute landing beside Teelo, a metal tureen of hot rice with slices of chicken is revealed and Teelo laughs as he scoops a handful into his mouth. There is an uncomfortable moment as we wonder whether or not we can share in this meal but Teelo indicates that we should help ourselves "You all earned it" he says "We know what the Capitol want. Kill the cowards."

District 10: Lash

I'm glad the rain didn't last long; I'm tired of being in my hammock but I'm as safe here as anywhere else so I nibble some more of my roasted squirrel before the meat rots.

The rustling begins again and I freeze, listening for tribute voices or animal calls, neither occurs and I risk a peek over the side of my hammock. A cluster of shrubs not far from me is moving, the sound seems to be coming from within but nothing emerges to give me any clue as to what is in there.

I wonder if it's a wounded animal; a large rabbit perhaps or a raccoon. My interest is piqued and I decide to investigate before it attracts a larger predator or another tribute comes to take it from me. I draw my knife and climb down the tree carefully, I don't want to make too much noise or it could run off so I tread as lightly as possible on my approach. The shrubs move and I hear a noise, its familiar and I know it well. I pull the leaves apart to find my district partner looking ashen and weak, his face is bloodied and his left eye won't open.

"Please" Manny croaks "Please."

Then he passes out and his unconscious body is hidden in the foliage once more.

District 5: Teller

I know I am going the wrong way; the ground is sloping upwards and that can only mean I am heading away from the river but I have no choice, a twelve foot hedge blocks my path to the east so now I have to double back and try my luck north.

What time is it? In the gloom of the thick foliage I can't tell but I've a feeling its early afternoon. My precious cattail supply is running low and I nibble another stalk while I hike.

Another hours walk and I have finally reached a treeline. The air is cold but the direct sunlight is blissful; ahead of me lies a short grassy knoll ending in a sheer rock wall, the way is impassable. I look from the rock to the hedge and realise I must have found the edge of the arena; buoyed by the idea that I can block off a possible direction of attack, I sit with my back to the rock and get a fire started. I'm thirsty but I've been well hydrated over the last two days so I can afford a moment to warm my hands. I doubt the more aggressive tributes will be so far from their campsite and I like the thought of getting some rest without running into them.

The growl starts low and, at first, I barely register it due to my concentration on the firestones. After a few moments my ears prick up and I realise something is watching me. I look into the trees and see a pair of bright eyes set in the hulking form of a brown bear.

What am I meant to do?! Do I run? Do I scream? Will the fire keep it away from me?

In those few terrible seconds a hundred thoughts converge but none of them provide me with a definite answer. The bear rushes at me and I panic, I turn and run as fast as I can into the trees. The animal lets out a brutish roar and it spurs me onwards, waiting for the deadly swipe of claws at any moment. In an awful instance of panic I leap towards a tree, hoping that the animal cannot climb and I am a few feet in the air before I realise there is blood everywhere….all over my hands, clothes and the bark of the tree. The bear yelps far behind and when I turn I see why; the forest floor glitters as if it is made of diamonds but instead of precious jewels it is glass, thousands and thousands of shards of glass. The trees shimmer too; the afternoon sun reflects off the angry shards that covers their trunks and braches.

My pursuer yowls again, pawing at the ground and stalking up and down the glass border. I shift position so my small hands hold a safe part of the tree but I cannot hold it forever, I jump down to the ground and wince as pieces of glass stick in my ankles. More worrying are my hands; lacerations cover them and they bleed freely onto the ground; small glass pieces stick under my fingernails and twinkle menacingly at me.

I carefully pick the glass out from around my socks and tuck my trousers into my boots, at least now I can walk without more glass sticking into my ankles. Eyeing the bear carefully, I pick out as much glass as I can from my hands and then take my blanket and rip off makeshift bandages to try to stem the blood flow.

I look around and I can see a glittering floor of glass on all sides, excepting behind me where the bear waits at the treeline. I decide to hike a little way into the glass forest to get out of sight of the bear and then walk westwards; I know the glass doesn't cover the whole arena so I just have to find a way out. I feel cold; the sponsor who sent my firestones must be furious as there is no way I can go back for them now. More than anything else I need water, the rain stopped long ago and now my mouth feels dry and rough inside. I can't imagine there is water in this part of the forest but I must try to find it or I know I will soon die.

District 10: Lash

I'm not proud. I ran…scurried back into my hammock and tried to pretend to myself that Manny didn't exist. He's been down there all afternoon, I keep looking over at the bushes, hoping that the tip of his boot won't be peeking out of the shrubs….but it is. The boot tip taunts me, tells me to feel compassion and to care about someone who is my only link to home. How can I? He's half dead already, dehydrated and bleeding; it's only a matter of time before the end comes and his cannon sounds.

I eat the last of my Capitol bread- it tastes of shame.

District 2: Silver

We reach the campsite and find Farlie stirring a large pot of soup.

"I heard the cannon, was it you?" She asks as we approach. Nock nods and tells her of the pair from District Twelve. "Great" Farlie replies "I found dehydrated soup mix so I made a pot for us all."

I notice that she eyes Teelo carefully; he grunts and takes a portion from her. I thank her for the soup and sit by the fire, the atmosphere is overwrought and it isn't helped by the thin, watery flavour of the meal.

Night falls and the Capitol seal flashes in the sky. Teelo is meant to be on guard first but he stalks off to bed in a moody huff "Hey!" Nock calls "What the hell?!"

"I made a real kill today, gave the audience a real show. If they want me to slaughter another rebel tomorrow then I've gotta get some sleep. The invalid can keep watch, she's no use otherwise."

Nock swears loudly at Teelo's back and starts to grab a weapon.

I put a hand on his arm "It's okay, I'll take first watch, I'm not really tired."

"Do what you want but that guy's gonna get a spear in the back soon" Nock spits and takes a sleeping bag.

I wrap a blanket around myself and look into the fire. Eleven of us left, five are here at the campsite, perhaps when two more die I'll pack a rucksack and make a break for it on my own.


	9. Chapter 9: Alliances break like ankles

Day Five:

District 10: Lash

He's crying now…or at least I think he is…the whimpering could be coming from the inside of my own head. I almost climbed down to check on Manny several times through the night but I can't get involved with him. What would the Capitol say? We're supposed to be tributes; offered up to die like lambs, proof of the unending loyalty of the Districts, how can I show solidarity to another tribute?

District 2: Silver

I stretch the ache from my shoulders. It's still dark, the others sleep soundly and I hear a faint snore from Farlie. She's supposed to be on guard; Teelo would kill her if he woke and saw her slumped over the fire like this. For a moment I consider merely turning over in my sleeping bag and letting the stupid girl get caught…but the wolves howl in the distance and I don't like the thought of them making it into the camp. I get up and shuffle sleepily over to her; as I put a hand on her shoulder, my eye is drawn to her ankle, it is swollen far more than it was yesterday and the skin is tight and red. Farlie's eyes open but it is clear that she isn't fully conscious, her pupils are dilated and she cannot hold her head up straight. I put a hand to her cheek and, despite the fire, she is icy cold.

"Farlie…Farlie…wake up properly…come on" I urge her, shaking her shoulders hard "Wake up you idiot come on!"

"What's going on?" Teelo calls from inside the metal box, Farlie is as good as dead now.

The injured girl seems to sense the danger she is in and rallies. Her speech is slow and a little slurred "I'm fine…fine…just getting more wood…firewood…for firing" she rambles.

Teelo shakes his head and stalks over to us; Mya and Nock share a knowing glance and stand up with him. Farlie's eyes widen as Teelo seizes his sword. She stumbles backwards and runs with a strange, swooping gait as her good leg tries to compensate for her bad ankle. Teelo doesn't make any haste in his approach; he knows the District Four girl can't get away and I watch in growing horror as Farlie tries to make her escape towards the treeline. Suddenly there is a loud cracking sound and she falls to the ground with a solid thud; her ankle has snapped completely and puss, blood and bone stick out of the new wound, filling the air with the pungent scent of untreated infection.

Nock is noisily sick and even I feel a little green when I see the state of Farlie's leg. Teelo looks disgusted with the state of the girl; he barks "Just finish her will you?" and turns on heel back to his sleeping bag.

Eugh, the smell is vile. I always sleep with my knife so I have it to hand quickly. Is it worse that Farlie doesn't cry or howl? She just looks at me through sad, wide eyes as I drag my knife across her throat. The District Four girl twitches and gurgles for three or four minutes until she finally drowns in her own blood and sorrow.

District 5: Teller

I open my eyes and the world seems wrong; the trees are sideways and my right cheek feels wet with a stabbing pain. I must have fallen asleep again, I've been fighting it for hours but my legs are sore and the blister on my heel is rubbing skin away with every heavy footfall. I try to brush away the dirt from my cheek but then I remember it's not dirt…its glass, a grainy layer of the stuff covers my skin and I fight the urge to scratch my face.

I have the treeline in sight but the bear has kept pace with me all night, it doesn't dare to step onto the glass strewn forest floor but it won't leave me alone either. I wonder if the blood I lost from my hands was enough to entice the animal to track me; I've fallen asleep three times while walking so I'm a good bet for an easy kill. Perhaps I'll wake up to my own disembowelment next time.

My tortured imagination stretches the day out ahead of me, no water and no break from the way the glass bends the daylight, blinding me and causing me to fall again and again.

District 10: Lash

The cannon boom fills me with hope. Is this it? Has Manny finally died?

I wait for his body to be collected but an hour passes and that blasted boot tip still sticks out of the tangle of shrubs.

I remember instructions to keep away from dead tributes so the Capitol can collect the bodies, perhaps I'm too close to Manny for them to get down here. I leave my hiding place and check my snare line, a small rabbit still twitches so I snap its furry neck and go to work skinning and gutting the creature. The fire takes a little time and the bow drill catches on my thumb, grazing the new skin that covers where my nail used to be, but the cooked rabbit is delicious and I have to stop myself from gobbling every piece there and then. I eat a leg and put the rest in my pack for later.

Time drags on, why am I still here? The fire stopped being a sensible decision a long time ago; an aggressive tribute could break through these trees and kill me any minute.

Manny's death is my fault.

No it's not, I didn't hurt him and I didn't dehydrate him. Nothing about this arena is my fault.

The conflicting thoughts hurt my head, I'm tired and hungry, and I don't need to add guilt to my list of problems. I haven't killed any tribute in these Games, my knife is only for defence and I have no plans to be a murderer. I look down at the hunting knife, the blood of the rabbit may as well be the blood of my District partner and I murdered him by doing nothing.

Tears prick my eyes; tears for my involvement in this torture, for my friends who died in the suspicion of the rebellion and for my District partner who spoke out against all of the fighting. In the end, Manny was better than all of us.

A shout comes from the north and I extinguish the fire. I reach the tree and automatically gaze towards the bush that held my District partner. The boot tip twitches. Whoever the cannon is for, it wasn't Manny.

I don't run, my jubilation is tinged with suspicion, but I peel back the leaves and see his injured face. I can't do anything about the rebellion, the Games or the death of my past friends but, here and now, I can ensure I don't become a murderer through ignorance. I begin with water; I try to dribble it into his mouth but his cheek is swollen and he isn't conscious enough to drink it so I rip a cleanish looking piece of his undershirt and soak it. The water-logged cloth is soft enough for Manny to suck and my flask soon runs dry from wetting it.

I consider pulling him from the shrubs but he cannot climb a tree and he's as well camouflaged there as he's going to get. I don't see blood on the ground around him so I assume that the worst was done to his face; his left eye is severely swollen and crusted shut with dried blood. I take off my own vest, shivering in the cold air, and soak it with water straight from the waterfall pool. I use it as a rag to gently clean the grime and blood from Manny's face.

The work takes hours; cleaning his face, wetting the rags and fighting the urge to run away from this whole situation. What will I do once he's well? What if all his talk about peace was just an act? Ultimately, what's the point of keeping someone alive if they have to die for me to go home?

District 2: Silver

I took up Farlie's watch after she died and now I feel drained and exhausted. Trekking through the woods is the last thing I want to do but I have no choice, Teelo wants another kill, another chance to show the Capitol his loyalty and strength. Nock was left behind to guard the camp; now that Farlie is gone there is a vacuum for Teelo's anger and I think Nock is the one to fill it.

We look for signs of tributes and I guess that many of them must be getting desperate by now; surely they will want to stay nearby our supplies of food and water. Sure enough we hear a rustle up ahead and break into a run.

District 5: Teller

How much longer can I keep going? Waves of cramp radiate outwards from my stomach and my sock is wet from the wound at my heel. I'm not sure if I'm imagining the bear but I see it all the same, its breath huffs warm and wet in the cold air and its beady eyes track me through the trees.

The ground still glitters but…I think it's getting clearer, the edge of the glass forest is in sight. My body aches but I feel renewed determination, I can see clear soil and hear the faint sound of rushing water, perhaps I have curved back towards the river. A grunt from my animal companion reminds me of my next problem, as soon as the floor becomes safe the bear is sure to attack. I pause in my stagger and almost lose my balance; I can see the first glassless tree up ahead, perhaps I should run for it and climb. I don't know if bears can climb but it seems like my best chance right now.

The bear has picked up speed as it too recognises clear soil ahead and anticipates a good meal. I throw myself forwards and scramble up to a low branch of the tree, my head spins and I don't think I can hold my position. The bear begins its approach and I know my end must be close, I clutch the branch and squeeze my eyes shut, willing myself to lose consciousness. A patter of feet and a loud shriek draws my attention back to the real world; the small boy from District Nine has barrelled out of the trees and straight into the path of the bear. He looks to have been running hard for some time; his face drips with sweat and he can't catch his breath. The bear faces a dilemma, chase after the tribute or come for me in the tree, my mind is foggy from dehydration but I see the boy has frozen in fear. I manage to heave myself up onto a higher branch and the bear seems to make its mind up, it focuses on the District Nine boy and breaks into a run. Within seconds it has charged into him and knocked him to the ground, its huge paws swipe at the boy and spill his guts onto the forest floor. The screams of pain split into my skull and, if there was enough water in my body, I would weep. But I can't. Instead I tell myself to move, take this chance and run away. I have just enough sense left to choose a direction other than the one the boy came from and I tear off into the trees. My legs give way beneath me and I have no more energy left, the sound of the cannon seems muted in my ears and blackness descends before my face touches the ground.

District 10: Lash

Manny finally looks clean, his lolling stupor has become a sound sleep and I take a moment to rest, eat the other rabbit leg and wash the grime from my face and neck. My stomach gnaws, I don't want to eat the rest of the rabbit without anything to replace it but I don't want to hike up the mountain and run into the wolves again. I decide to walk south and am rewarded with a patch of dandelions, I stuff my pockets and bag with as many whole flowers as I can, the leaves taste bitter but I can boil them at sundown and drink dandelion tea. Another hours walk and I have gathered yet more dandelions as well as some clover, I'm so happy that I eat a little piece of rabbit and pop dandelion heads into my mouth until I finally feel satisfied.

I return to my campsite just in time to see Manny try to sit up, he sways and keels over almost immediately and lands in the bushes with a thud. When I make it over to him I see that his right eye is open but his left is still swollen shut and his face is tinged with grey.

"How're you feeling?" I ask

"Like I nearly died" he answers quietly "Why are you helping me?"

I think about my answer but decide to tell the truth "I don't know…I just didn't want to be the one that let you die."

Manny nods as if he understands "Thank you…for the water. Do you want me to go?"

Why does he ask such infuriating questions?! Of course I want him to go, if he stays then it could come down to the two of us and I'll have revived my own murderer. But then I think of how lonely I've been these last few days, and of the nights of fraught sleep and rushed fires because I have no one to watch my back.

"You can stick around if you like…for now." I give him some of the plants I have gathered and he contributes two huge handfuls of grain from a small bag in his back pocket.

"I lost most of my supplies…I was camping by the river when I saw some tributes chasing a boy. I had a backpack full of roots and stalks from the field as well, as a hunting knife and fishing wire, but I moved into the trees and the wolves ambushed me. I left everything there and ran until my legs gave in, one of them got me and swiped a claw into my eye, fortunately I was holding my knife and it let go once I stabbed it. Have you just stayed here?"

I nod "Pretty much, I ran into the wolves too but I managed to get back here…I have a hammock up there," I gesture to my tree "and I only really leave to check my snares."

Manny chews a small handful of clover and I see him grimace as he tries to swallow, he explains that his throat is dry and I offer him my water flask. He struggles to grip it and, when I touch his hand, I feel that he freezing. We are still a few hours from dusk so I cannot yet risk a fire; instead I offer him more food and help him to move to a dry patch of ground at the base of my tree. I stuff dry leaves into the space between his shirt and jacket and help him pull his arms into his sleeves and across his chest to keep them warm. I have to leave him to climb the tree and rest for a while; I put on my hat and tuck my chin into my jacket, my eyelids droop but I can't shake a sense of anxiety that my decision to save Manny may not have been a good one. Eventually I sleep.

District 2: Silver

The day darkens and even Teelo has lost his taste for the chase. The tribute we saw this morning has long given us the slip and a stalking bear, which caught our eye across the river, has convinced us to return to the campsite.

Feeling dejected and morose we sit around the fire and warm ourselves. The Capitol seal lights up the sky for a moment and the images of two tributes appear for the final time, Farlie's death was known to us but I don't remember anything about the District Nine boy and I wonder how he died.

Mya takes first watch and I see the boys take a sleeping bag each. On the pretence of needing to relieve myself I duck behind the metal box and walk to the treeline; I take my backpack and half bury it in the soft ground at the base of a tree. Tensions are running high and I am not unaware that there are only nine tributes left, how much longer can the four of us keep up the pretence of an alliance? I know that I will soon have to make good my exit before a cross word or twisted ankle causes Teelo's anger to be directed at me. During my impromptu watch this morning I took some waxed matches, a container of grain, a bottle of water and some anti-bacterial wipes for the wound on my face. During tonight's watch I'll swipe more supplies, the end can't be far off now, I need to be ready.


	10. Chapter 10: Calm before the storm

Day Six:

District 2: Silver

I secrete a hunting knife into my backpack and re-bury it at the edge of the forest.

Dawn kisses the horizon and the others make their way to the fire for breakfast. Nock leans over for a water bottle and accidentally kicks Mya with his outstretched leg; she shoves him forwards and he almost loses his balance.

"Watch it!" Mya snaps

"You watch it!" Nock retorts and, for a moment, I think he'll reach for a knife…but the tension breaks as quickly as it began and the two continue gathering the supplies they'll want that day.

Teelo slings a small backpack over his shoulder "Who's staying here?" he asks, making it clear that it won't be him.

I give a shrug "I'll do it if no one else wants to." Teelo provides a curt nod in reply and beckons for the others to follow him. I watch them retreat over the grassy field and take up a post by the fire, spear in hand. Here at least I can keep track of the cannon fire without being around the others, if there are two more deaths today then I will take off. However, for now, I decide to focus on rest and rehydration after the days of long hikes around the arena.

District 10: Lash

Manny is sleeping when I climb down the tree at dawn. I prod him with my boot and he wakes with a start. "Ssh!" I scold him "we can make a fire now, but not here, can you stand up?"

He nods and shakily gets to his feet, clutching at the tree for support. We make slow progress and I feel frustrated at his slow, clumsy gait. Eventually, we make it to my snare line and I'm pleased to see a fat rabbit has been lured into my trap, unfortunately something has already nibbled at the kill and a leg is missing.

"I can skin it if you want?" Manny offers, but I shake my head and tell him to find more kindling. I don't want to leave someone to die but I can't yet trust him with my only knife; he seems different to the way he was in the training centre. I suppose we're all different now.

The fire is pleasantly warm and Manny spots a patch of juicy blackberries to add to our breakfast.

"How long have we been in here?" He wonders "Was it really only a week ago that I was working on re-building houses back in Ten?"

I think back to the panic of the first day of the Games; I trembled the first time I climbed my birch tree and now I shimmy up and down it several times a day.

"Are you frightened?" Manny asks "Of the Games I mean."

I shrug; the truth of it is that I don't really know anymore. "I suppose I was terrified of everything at the start but now…now I just feel a sort of background dread that could become horror at any minute."

Manny looks at me for a moment before turning his attention back to the fire. I don't know if he understands how I feel but I don't push the conversation any further.

Once the sun is fully up I extinguish the fire and we make our slow trek back to the waterfall. Manny purifies a bottle of water and offers it to me. "It's freezing" he says "Why don't you sit by me? I know you'd rather stay in the hammock but at least we'll keep each other warm."

I feel thrown off my guard for a second but I'm so cold without the fire that I agree. We take up a spot at the base of my tree and I feel him, familiar and yet strange, against my left shoulder. The time passes slowly and Manny tries to keep up some small conversation; he asks about my family and I chat, albeit begrudgingly at first, about my little sister Kale and my interest in training horses. He laughs enthusiastically when I reminisce about the time that Kale fell in the feed barrel and a horse chewed her long hair, my mother was furious with me for not paying attention.

In return, he tells me about his mother and brothers; his youngest brother, Bran, was killed by falling rubble when the Capitol missiles hit the schoolhouse. Manny blames himself; he's the eldest and feels he should've gotten Bran to the makeshift shelters constructed in their township.

"Get some rest Lash; I'll wake you if anything happens."

I feel my eyelids droop but I don't want to sleep on the forest floor; I instruct Manny to wake me at noon and climb into my hammock to rest.

District 2: Silver

Good grief this is boring! Every now and again I think I hear someone and I jump up, spear or axe ready, but then some dull, fluffy animal will run out from the undergrowth and I sink back down to my watch once more.

On the plus side, I have stocked my escape rucksack with more choice supplies and I'm confident that, once I leave, I'll have food, shelter, fire and weapons. I also wrapped the whole thing in a plastic sheet to keep it waterproof.

There's not much else to do so I sharpen my axe and try not to lose my sanity.

District 10: Lash

When I awake I see the sun lowering in the sky, I climb down the tree to find Manny patiently watching the forest and drinking water.

"Why didn't you wake me?" I ask

He shrugs "What for? Nothing's happening here."

A sudden thunderclap makes me jump; Manny laughs at my surprise and I find myself chuckling along with him. He pulls off his jacket and holds it above his head as an impromptu shelter. "Quick, come and sit under here before the ground gets wet." I smile and nestle myself against his side as the rain begins to pour.

District 5: Teller

My head is sopping wet but I don't care, the rain is life and I simply roll onto my back and open my mouth to let it revitalise me.

Slowly the sandpaper feel of my mouth lessens and I feel as if I can sit up. But I don't. I just allow the water to seep into each part of me and keep me alive.

Eventually I do sit up. The rain continues and I have to wipe it from my eyes every few seconds. I prop my water bottle up against a nearby rock to allow it to fill and then take a look around. I have to squint; the effect of dehydration, along with the torrential downpour, stops me from having my full field of vision. I feel dizzy and, when I reach out to stop myself from falling, some long grass comes away in my hand. I stare at it for a moment before I begin to laugh…and I can't stop! It's a good job that the thunderclaps are loud because I laugh maniacally until my stomach cramps in pain and I am rolling around on the ground. I kiss the handful of grass and hold it to my chest; it is long and plaited and comes from the shelter I made three days ago.

District 2: Silver

My allies look despondent and bedraggled on their return to our camp. Mya holds a piece of cloth to her mouth and I can see from the staining on her clothes that she has been bleeding badly.

"What happened?" I ask her, handing everyone an unappetising meal of cold, mushy grain and pickled fish.

When Mya speaks blood escapes from between her lips and she lisps slightly. "Ith was all really fatht; one minuth I was thtood on hard thoil and the netht a pit opened up beneath me. I manathed to get a hold on a three root and pull mythelf up" she pauses to wipe her mouth "but I bit through the end of my thongue."

I pat her on the shoulder companionably and swap my grain for her fish; she's unlikely to be able to chew anything until the swelling goes down. "Thankth" Mya smiles a little and takes shelter from rain in the metal box with everyone else.

The Capitol seal looks distorted through the rain but it's clear that there have been no deaths today.

"I wonder where the other tributes are hiding." Nock muses "We've scoured that field and as far as we can through the woods, how long can these Games go on for if everyone stays hidden?"

I shrug but it's a thought that crept into my mind several times today. What happens if the other tributes have spread themselves out at the edge of the arena? We aren't going to leave our supplies overnight so how will we catch them? These are the Hunger Games; perhaps the Capitol will just wait for them to starve to death. If that's the case then the food I have packed in my escape pack is nowhere near enough to sustain me longer than those here at camp.

I consider this problem as I turn my body away from the wind and try to sleep.


	11. Chapter 11: Calm after the storm

Day Seven:

District 5: Teller

I pull my jacket over my head and try to sleep. I'm surprised that my woven shelter has remained pretty much intact and it's doing a good job of keeping most of the rain away from my body. An hour ago I tried to gather some food to stop my stomach cramps; but the rain is so appallingly heavy that I could barely see two feet in front of my face. I did grab a cattail which hadn't been totally ruined by the storm, but even after eating the whole plant I am still paralysed by the pain of hunger.

I'm fairly sure that no one will be out tracking tributes in this weather; time to rest and hope that no-one decides to revisit old hunting grounds.

District 2: Silver

The sound of the rain on the metal box is deafening. We daren't show weakness and huddle together; instead we all shiver in our individual sleeping bags and grumble about the cold.

"Perhaps this is them…the Capitol!" Teelo shouts over the rain

"Can they control the weather?!" Nock calls back incredulously; I shrug, they can create an arena with pit traps and trees that shoot spears, I suppose they can do anything.

District 10: Lash

The cold penetrates my skin and hits my core. My hat and clothes are saturated with rain, all Manny and I can do is pull our arms into our soaking jackets and wait for it to end.

A few hours later and the arena is lit with the misty grey light of day, the rain finally subsides but the grey skies don't dissipate and thunder claps still sound loudly throughout the forest. A flash of lightning illuminates the dark spaces between the trees; it's beautiful and I see a sopping, dead squirrel on the ground nearby. I dart forwards to grab the pathetic, waterlogged corpse when the world explodes and knocks me to the ground.

I get to my feet and hear a strange crackle; then a lightning bolt forks down from the silvery sky and hits a tree, the tree explodes in a cascade of shards, and they spray outwards in a deadly haze.

How is this possible?! I have a moment of frozen horror before I tell myself to get moving and sprint back to my tree for my backpack. It's too late to start wishing I'd gotten into the habit of re-packing my hammock each night. Another tree explodes to my left and I leap forwards, shoulder rolling to avoid taking a shard of wood in the head. I reach my tree but…where the hell is Manny?! Where's my stuff?!

"Get down!" Manny screams and I crouch, using my arms to protect my head, as wood fragments and dirt shower down over my torso. He takes my hand and yanks me forwards, my pack over his shoulder and a huge splinter lodged in his bad eye. "Come on!" He cries and we run, hand in hand, through the forest. I squeal as I see wolves, but the pack pays us no attention and we continue to flee.

There is another deafening explosion but it's nowhere near us, though the cut off scream and cannon boom suggests it has found a victim. There is a shooting pain as I turn my ankle and I can't run any longer.

"Manny!" I call out, stretching my hand to him. He turns and looks at me; I'd like to say there is shame in his eyes when he turns away or that he starts back for me and changes his mind…but he doesn't. Instead I see only a moment of pity before he continues his escape through the forest.

I hobble towards his retreating back, tears streaming down my face and the burning heartache of betrayal in my chest. "Please!" I call "Please!" Beside me another tree explodes and the last thing I will ever see is the branch that flies towards my head.

District 2: Silver

Another cannon! That's it…there are only seven of us left and four are sat in this metal box!

The storm subsides as quickly as it came; the sky becomes so calm that the explosions of thunder and flashes of lightning could easily have been a dream. We emerge from the box and I find myself stunned by the devastation; the treeline near to us is as thick as always but I can see new clearings surrounded by shattered trees.

I look for the space where I buried my escape pack but I can't think how to retrieve it without drawing an attack from the rest of the group. Fortunately, the boy from District Ten (I think his name is Manny) bursts through the trees and Nock, Mya and Teelo immediately take up their weapons. I throw my spear to show willing but then back away slowly to the treeline.

Teelo pushes him down and the boy calls out for mercy; Nock kicks him in the stomach and Mya uses an axe to sever his hand. I hear the cannon but don't see the killing blow because I have spotted the plastic which covers my escape supplies; I place my foot on the forest floor and the tree in front of me explodes. I am flung backwards and a long piece of wood spears me through my left calf.

Groans and shrieks come from the rest of the group as they try to stand or walk. A flap of skin from Nock's head hangs down past his ear and Teelo is vomiting, causing more blood to flow from his side. Mya yanks her jaw back into place and spits out a mouthful of blood that contains three teeth. The ground rushes up to meet me as I pass out.

District 5: Teller

Mud oozes between my fingers as I try to gain purchase on the sodden ground; I fall several times and the dirt stings when it gets into my eyes, eventually I manage to claw my way to the riverbank and put my face and hands in the running water. I drink huge gulps of the icy stream and wonder if it's a worry that I can no longer feel the cold on my face. It takes all of my strength to crawl on to a rock and I lie back to catch my breath.

A cannon fires and I count off in my head how many of us are left. Six…five more rounds of cannon and I can leave this place. Another explosion from the direction of the metal box; I don't know what was happening in that storm but the explosions wouldn't stop; I waited for them to reach me, but the field and river remained quiet.

The day draws on and I haven't the energy to move. A tribute could be poised to kill me right now and just take their chance; I suppose I'm hoping that the storm affected all of us; maybe even that the explosions I heard killed the tributes that chased me a few days ago.

Perhaps everyone is just waiting for death.

District 2: Silver

I wake to see the final rays of the sun before it dips below the horizon. Standing is agony but walking is excruciating; Teelo is feeding sticks to a small fire but he has to stop now and again to be sick and the smell of stomach bile is pungent in the air around him. Nock is wrapping a bandage around his head and Mya simply sits with her back against the metal box, staring out into the forest.

The Capitol seal appears in the air along with pictures of both tributes from District Ten and the girl from Eleven.

Nock's eyes narrow as he looks towards me and I'm not sensing anything more convivial from the District One tributes. I limp a few paces towards the supplies and no one attacks me. I take a blanket, bottle of water, crackers and a medical pack before retreating to a neutral space away from the others.

As I clean my leg and wrap it in a sterile bandage I consider the change in our group dynamic; my guess is that we have a short truce while we heal but, once they can move without vomiting or bleeding, all bets are off. Well that's fine by me.

I wrap myself in a blanket and curse the Gamemakers as the rain falls once more.


	12. Chapter 12: Fighting to win

Day Eight:

District 5: Teller

The water is rising. I shake my head to try to clear rainwater from my ears; when I place my feet there is a splashing sound rather than the squelch of mud.

I'm sopping wet but I can't even feel the cold anymore; the pain in my stomach has become a dull, endless ache which I can almost ignore because the Games are nearly over. I just need to survive five more booms of the cannon and I can go home. My head feels fuzzy and I stumble but I keep moving out of the rising river and towards the trees.

I spot another tribute; the boy from District Six, trudging along towards the trees. There are palpitations in my chest but I see that he is trying to keep an eyeball in its socket and realise he isn't likely to attack me. I decide to put some distance between us and sit on the ground, waiting for him to pick a direction and enter the trees. It's fortunate I am close to the floor as a tree explodes the moment the boy stands on the forest floor, ripping his head and arms from his body and throwing me back on the ground.

I look back at the rushing water and then towards the trees; I feel like a sheep being herded towards the metal box. I consider sitting here and waiting for the water to catch up with me but a wolf howl behind me makes me stand; I'll take my chances with the tributes rather than be torn apart by animals.

The Games will end today… the river, trees or wolves will find any hiding tributes and I don't think my body can take another cold night. I drop my backpack but take out my folding knife, it's not very sharp but I'd rather have it than leave it behind.

Walking is tiring but I plod onwards towards the metal box and towards the end.

District 2: Silver

I awake to the sound of cannon fire and explosions; for a brief irrational moment I wonder if I am dead.

How could I have fallen asleep?! I had intended to sit and watch the others give in to sleep and then slit their throats. My eyes dart around the camp and I see that I am not the only one to have fallen asleep or unconscious in the night: Mya's head lolls unnaturally and I see Teelo stagger his way towards her, knife in hand. What now? Do I try to stand and fight? Should I try to run towards the field?

I decide to lie back down and ready my knife under my body; how I wish I had my axe or a sword! The floor shakes slightly when the cannon signals Mya's death and I allow my head to droop on my arm, as if I am unconscious. I squint slightly and see Teelo look in my direction, I don't know if he believes my ruse or not but he advances towards Nock.

My District partner makes no attempt at subterfuge and stumbles his way to a sword which was strewn on the floor during the storm. Teelo screams as they clash and I can see that the wound in his side is causing him great pain as well as preventing him from having full range of movement.

Nock punches Teelo squarely in the jaw and the District One boy stumbles backwards but keeps his footing. Teelo recovers and brings the knife hilt down smartly on Nock's skull; I wince at the thought of his fresh stitches and admire Nock's grim determination as he stabs his sword into Teelo's foot, pinning it to the ground.

Teelo screams in pain and pushes his knife up to the hilt into Nock's shoulder; then again and again into his lower gut until his bowl spills out onto the murky floor. A cannon sounds and Teelo pulls the sword from his foot; he curses loudly before turning his head towards me.

I push myself to my feet and watch his painful progress across the clearing. I don't want to fall foul of his sword so I make a risky decision; I bend slightly at the waist and rush him with all the strength I have left. My slim body knocks Teelo to the ground; I spring upright and take the opportunity to stamp hard on his wounded foot.

"Bitch!" He screams as he tries to stand, I kick him across the face and heavily in his stomach. My axe lies temptingly to my right and I pick it up, though this gives Teelo time to right himself and stab the back of my thigh with his sword. Pain shoots through my body and my leg tries to crumble beneath me but I only fall to my knee and swing my axe, embedding it into Teelo's face.

District 5: Teller

I lean against the metal box and witness the horrific final battle of the strong tribute pack. The District Two girl is so strong that I wonder if I should just sit here, wait to be noticed and hope she'll give me a clean death.

The girl sits back on her haunches, clearly exhausted from her fight to survive. I crawl around the metal box and ready my knife; I take a deep breath and leap at the girl, stabbing her in the back. She springs upwards, screaming like a harpy, and scrabbles behind her for the weapon. I back off, if I can get away now then I can out last her!

With every bit of strength left in my body I turn and run back tow….

District 2: Silver

The axe buries itself in the District Five boy's head. The final cannon fires but the sound is muffled.

I slump forwards and see I am in a puddle of my own blood, perhaps that cannon was mine, perhaps I am already dead.


	13. Chapter 13: Epilogue

Epilogue:

My stylist, Nyall, finishes his final touch to my make-up. "Darling you're stunning, look!" He points me towards the full length mirror in my dressing room.

What have they done?! I'm wearing the outfit from the Games! My face is splattered with mud and there are blood stains all over my hands and clothes!

"Don't you like it?" He looks at me concerned and, when I look from the mirror to his face and back at the mirror again, I realise that I am wearing a beautiful golden dress. No blood stains. No mud.

"It's lovely…thank you."

I make my way to the stage and the interviewer kisses my cheek. The strange, vivid colours still hurt my eyes and the thunderous applause reminds me too much of the storm for me to really enjoy my 'moment in the limelight.'

"We thought we'd begin with a recap of your best moments!" the interviewer chirps. He indicates the television screen that rests between us and I watch twenty three people die in quick succession. I see myself kill the young boy from District Five and then pass out as blood spills from my limbs and torso.

When it is over, the interviewer turns to me with an expectant expression. "At this moment you are the most famous person in the whole of Panem, after our own dear President Snow of course, haha!" He turns nervously to the young, dashing army commander who took over Panem after the rebellion.

President Snow sits in his huge chair in the centre of the front row; he smiles a little and inclines his head to me. "My dear, I believe you may even be more famous than me." The audience titters with laughter and the interviewer continues "You have proven your unquestionable loyalty to the Capitol and are, I'm sure, the pride of District Two. How do you feel?"

I look at him blankly. I feel nothing.


End file.
